Podcasts about immersive

Here's a Thought… #2761 with Brooks Jensen The Immersive Challenge We all have art we love and art that leaves us cold. In thinking about my own responses to artwork, I've come to the conclusion that the artwork I like the most are those pieces that create in me the largest immersive response by pulling me into the world that the artwork makes for us. This is, for example, where the novelist has so much to teach us visual artists. What if I were to propose that Tolkien and Ansel Adams are essentially facing the same creative challenge in different media? Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

In this episode I talk to sisters, Tanya and Natasha Bravo, from Juggerknot Theatre Company in Miami, Florida -- two of the minds behind the Miami Immersive Intensive -- which I attended this summer. We discuss their artistic journeys, the origins of Juggerknot, and their immersive theater work, particularly the Miami Motel Stories and Miami Bus Stop Stories. We also get into the impact of immersive theater on community engagement and education and the importance of training and collaboration in the immersive arts.TakeawaysImmersive theater fosters community engagementArtistic journeys shape creative expression Immersive theater enhances educationCommunity engagement fosters civic prideChapters00:00 Introduction to Juggerknot Theatre Company02:57 Artistic Journeys and Early Influences05:53 The Birth of Miami Motel Stories11:56 Community Engagement Through Immersive Theater18:00 Navigating Challenges and Opportunities24:06 Reflections and Future Directions27:13 The Power of Immersive Storytelling28:10 Innovative Educational Programs30:29 Connecting History and Community32:45 Building Infrastructure for the Arts34:57 Training the Next Generation of Artists39:08 Defining Immersive Experiences41:39 Creating a Hub for Immersive Arts45:29 Expanding the Reach of Immersive Training50:33 Looking Ahead: Future InitiativesPublished on October 1, 2026 | Produced by Lyons Den Productions and Cinemactivist LLC | Hosted by John C. Lyons | Music by Tony Grey | Recorded and Edited with Riverside

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   What's the one premier event that brings the global attractions industry together? IAAPA Expo 2026, happening in Orlando, Florida, November 16th - 20th. It's where more than forty-thousand professionals come to share the wonder, explore over a thousand innovative exhibitors, and discover future-focused solutions. From education to networking to ideas that drive real business impact, IAAPA Expo is where what's next takes shape.   Register now and save up to 30% at IAAPA.org/IAAPAExpo.   Jon Tozer is the Vice President of Strategy at Holovis. With a background in sound engineering, Jon joined Holovis approximately 10 years ago as a design engineer before expanding his expertise into the commercial and strategic sides of the business. His combination of engineering knowledge, business acumen, and lifelong passion for themed entertainment ultimately led him to his current role. Holovis is a show systems integration firm that brings creative concepts to life through technology, including screens, audio, interactive elements, real-time systems, and other technical story elements within attractions and entertainment experiences. In this interview, Jon talks about the deeper meaning of “immersive,” transforming sensory experiences, and authenticity at the human level. The deeper meaning of “immersive” “I think it has definitely a deeper meaning.” While “immersive” has become a common industry term often associated with projection, audio, and interactive technology, Jon believes true immersion goes much further. He describes it as a combination of engaging all five senses and carefully layering an experience through anticipation and reveal. Rather than expecting guests to become immersed instantly, an experience can gradually allow their senses and subconscious to move into another world. Jon points to Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida as a prime example. Taste comes through Butterbeer, guests feel the heat of the dragon's fire, music and environmental sounds build the atmosphere, scents reinforce the setting, and controlled sightlines create powerful visual reveals. The experience also has physical and narrative depth, progressively carrying guests from the streets of London into Gringotts. Transforming sensory experiences “If something is transformational, it's to change something completely in a way that improves.” “Transforming sensory experiences” has remained central to Holovis for more than a decade because each word reflects the company's approach. Jon distinguishes transformational experiences from transactional ones. A transaction involves exchanging something to achieve an outcome, while transformation creates meaningful change and improvement. The sensory component encompasses all five senses. While Holovis is commonly associated with sight, sound, and touch through audiovisual and interactive technology, Jon also recognizes the roles of taste and smell. The final component, experiences, covers everything from dark rides and roller coaster queues to interactive walkthroughs and exhibits. Together, the three words provide both a description of Holovis' work and a guiding principle for its team. Authenticity at the human level “I think the future of immersive experiences is that they'll all be authentic. And I think that they need to be authentic at a human level.” With technology evolving rapidly, Jon believes predicting the specific tools or intellectual properties that will define the future is increasingly difficult. Guests may actively interact and play within an experience or passively watch a world unfold around them, but the underlying requirement will remain authenticity. That authenticity applies to the IP or story, the way guests engage with it, and the people and methods used to create it. Jon believes decisions should ultimately be made for guests before shareholders. Regardless of what new technology emerges, experiences that connect authentically with people will have the strongest foundation for success.   Jon can be reached on LinkedIn and welcomes people to connect with him directly there. To learn more about Holovis and its work creating immersive entertainment experiences, visit www.holovis.com. To connect with AttractionPros: AttractionPros.com AttractionPros@gmail.com AttractionPros on Facebook AttractionPros on LinkedIn AttractionPros on Instagram AttractionPros on Twitter (X)

Press play and soak in the Word of God with this 1 Hour Scripture Meditation On Spiritual Warfare. Let these continuous, spoken Bible verses on protection and victory wash over your mind as you rest, meditate, or prepare for sleep. Listen to the full audio experience at TruthSeekah.com.

The Dandy Warhols' Zia McCabe has spent decades making music, but her latest creative chapter is taking her somewhere unexpected: immersive art.Returning to Australia in November, McCabe says the band's relationship with Australian audiences remains special, saying “once Aussies decide they love you, they love you forever.”But alongside the Dandy Warhols' upcoming shows, McCabe will unveil SEE HEAR NOW at Tasmania's MONA, an interactive musical installation opening to the public on November 26.The installation grew from McCabe's desire to transform spaces and create environments that tell stories beyond music for everyone. Visitors will trigger musical elements through movement and interaction, with layered sounds creating an ever-changing composition.A stationary bicycle, for example, can power a fan that activates a wind chime, while a central drone ensures the room is never silent.For McCabe, the project also represents a shift in how she sees herself. Raised in an artistic family, she once viewed music as separate from the visual art practised by her mother, father and sister. Now, she says she has embraced being an artist beyond simply being a musician.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

Hello Beautiful, I'm so grateful you're here with me. Immersive drone tones create a unique sleep atmosphere that encourages deep relaxation and mental stillness. This ambient soundscape is perfect for meditation, stress relief, and drifting into restorative sleep. Let the layers of sound gently carry you inward. Love,

Immersed - consisting of Brazilian DJs and producers Öwnboss and Scorsi - join us on this episode of Celeb Savant. Öwnboss and Scorsi takes us through their individual journeys in the industry and how they came together to create the duo, Immersed. They also explain their creative process and how it differs to the projects outside of Immersed. Website - www.scorsi.net Instagram - @weareimmersed @ownbossmusic @scorsi Facebook - @weareimmersed @ownbossmusic @scorsimusic Twitter - @ownbossmusic TikTok - @weareimmersed @ownbossmusic @scorsimusic YouTube - @weareimmersed @ownboss_ @scorsi

Can an artificial intelligence from the future kill someone in the present? In this science fiction podcast episode, a shy young inventor must disappear from every network before a chain of impossible accidents reaches her again.Rina is developing an AI designed to protect people from weaponized artificial intelligence when a failing lift nearly drops her thirty stories. Soon afterward, another unlikely structural failure strikes precisely where she is sitting. Her friends uncover a disturbing pattern: each accident occurs during a rare surge in quantum coherence, raising the possibility that an advanced intelligence is manipulating cause and effect backward through time.You will explore reverse causation, adaptive augmented reality, personality cloning, autonomous rescue robots, and a world where constant digital recording may give an unseen attacker everything it needs. The emotional peak comes when Rina realizes that survival may require surrendering the technology connecting her to everyone she knows.She and Lee enter an abandoned cross-property tunnel without communication links, digital assistants, or any way to call home. Then a relentless flash flood fills the passage, leaving their friends to guide a submersible search drone through dark rooms, submerged machinery, trapped air pockets, and debris.Subscribe on your preferred podcast app to follow the search and discover what waits deeper inside the flooded tunnel.TechProtective artificial intelligence — Rina is building an AI detective whose sole purpose is to identify, investigate, and stop dangerous or weaponized artificial intelligences.Group-call communication — Workers communicate through a shared audio channel even when they are in different parts of the underground complex.Augmented-reality social effects — AR elements add visible colors, symbols, schedules, maps, avatars, messages, and communication windows to a user's surroundings.Assist — Assist is a personal digital assistant that handles navigation, messages, calls, instructions, and emergency commands.Cool suits — Lightweight protective suits regulate the wearer's temperature while working in hot, dusty, or hazardous environments.Cool hoods — Clear protective hoods attach to cool suits while allowing the wearer to see and breathe in contaminated work areas.Platform lift — A compact suspended elevator carries people through a thirty-story shaft using four cables, a grated floor, safety bars, and a control box.Safety harness and lanyard system — Workers wear full-body harnesses with clip-on lanyards that can secure them to cables or structures during dangerous work.Medical treatment bots — Robotic medical systems scan injuries, administer injections, stabilize patients, and perform automated repairs.Gurney bots — Walking robotic stretchers lower themselves to the floor, lift injured people, and transport them to medical facilities.Medical stasis — Stasis keeps severely injured patients unconscious and physically stable while robotic systems repair their bodies.AR Two glasses — Second-generation augmented-reality glasses pre-filter sensory information and feed the wearer's eyes data tailored to how their brain processes the world.Machine-learning sensory adaptation — AR Two studies each wearer's cognitive strengths while the wearer's brain gradually adapts to interpret the system's unusual sensory input.Artificial new senses — Extended use of AR Two can produce abilities such as sensing structural stress, emotions, depth, hidden objects, material composition, temperature, density, and hardness.Sound vision — AR Two can turn reflected sound into a distinct visual-like sense that allows users to perceive rooms, objects, and movement through sound.Radio vision — Radio-based sensing allows users and robots to perceive spaces and objects when ordinary light cannot provide a useful image.Backward-facing cameras — Rear-mounted cameras give AR Two information about events and objects outside the wearer's normal field of view.Mass spectrometers — Compact chemical sensors identify substances and provide AR Two users or robots with information about what materials contain.LiDAR — Laser-ranging sensors construct precise three-dimensional models of rooms, tunnels, structures, and objects.WiDar — Wireless-signal sensing maps spaces and movement by analyzing how radio waves interact with the environment.Sound-mapping microphones — Microphone arrays determine the positions, shapes, and movement of objects by analyzing sound.Thermographic cameras — Thermal sensors detect temperature differences and help identify people, bodies, machinery, and environmental hazards.Sensor-array bone mounts — Small sensor connection points implanted around the skull and neck improve the wearer's connection to advanced AR equipment.Hoverboards — Personal boards carry riders rapidly through the complex's halls without touching the floor.Superconductive floors — Special flooring supports and guides hover transportation throughout the underground settlement.Fab-All machine — The Fab-All is a massive, multistory fabrication system containing many molecule assemblers capable of manufacturing a wide variety of objects.Molecule assemblers — These machines construct materials and products at a molecular level inside the Fab-All.Constructor bots — Autonomous construction robots clear debris, install equipment, alter buildings, and assemble large machines.Extendable construction legs — Some constructor bots raise or lengthen their bodies to work inside ceilings and other elevated spaces.Micro-controller goggles — Grace's modified goggles replace ordinary lenses with small electronic housings and external antennas for specialized sensing and computation.Quad-bit sensors — These experimental sensors detect changes in quantum coherence and record unusual relationships between particles.Double-slit sensors — These devices monitor whether light retains wave-like behavior instead of settling into normal interference patterns.Macroscale quantum-coherence monitoring — Grace's sensor network detects rare moments when quantum effects persist across large objects and environments.Link network — Link is the always-connected communication system people use for calls, messages, navigation, recording, and access to Assist.Canal links — Communication implants placed in the ear canal keep users continuously connected to the Link network.Link-pens — Small pen-shaped devices photograph objects, record information, and interact with the Link system.Personality cloning — People continually record their behavior and thoughts so a computer-generated copy of their personality can be created.Personality baking — Baking is the gradual process of collecting enough personal data for a personality clone to behave convincingly like its source.World Center communication system — Full-wall screens and networked auditoriums connect distant communities for shared lessons, discussions, engineering talks, and social events.Remote-meeting bots — Mobile robots physically represent distant participants and allow them to move through meetings held in another location.Autonomous serving arms — Ceiling-mounted robotic arms deliver drinks and snacks to seated people.Self-directed gene editing — Young people alter their own genes to create features such as glowing skin, luminous hair, eyeshine, animal-like facial structures, color-shifting skin, and patterned pigmentation.Firefly glands — Gene-edited glands implanted or grown in the neck pulse with visible light.Color-shifting biological makeup — Engineered skin or cosmetic biology changes color without conventional makeup.Ogra — Ogra is a biologically produced material invented by Rina and used for clothing, decorations, structural items, and other manufactured goods.Ogra farms — These facilities cultivate the biological material used to produce Ogra goods.Personality-clone recording systems — Cameras and networked sensors continuously collect personal data that can later be used to reconstruct someone's behavior.Reverse-causation targeting technology — Theoretical future AI could calculate a chain of quantum events that travels backward through cause and effect to harm someone in the past.Macroscale-superposition recording — Grace's instruments capture extremely brief moments when large objects occupy quantum superpositions.Inviro-suits — Heavy-duty environmental suits protect travelers entering flooded, contaminated, or otherwise dangerous tunnels.Handheld radios — Older self-contained radios are considered as a way to communicate without using the Link network, although their signals could still be recorded.Haul bots — Four-legged robotic carriers transport packs, tools, shelter equipment, and other heavy supplies through tunnels.Automated cremation machine — A portable crem machine is carried with expedition equipment for processing bodies when necessary.Pipe-swimmer drone — This autonomous underwater search robot moves through flooded tunnels, checks air pockets, searches rooms, scans debris, and looks for missing people.Body-detection chemical sensors — The search drone analyzes chemicals released by bodies to determine whether a person is present and how long they have been dead.Vibration sensors — The drone presses these devices against closed doors to detect spaces, movement, or structures on the other side.Echo vision — Sound reflections create a shadow-like model of rooms and stairwells hidden behind doors or walls.Snaking inspection probes — Flexible robotic probes crawl through hatches and narrow utility spaces while scanning pipes, crawlspaces, and trapped air pockets.Anchoring robotic arms — The underwater drone grips pipes and walls so it can hold position while opening hatches or operating tools.BritLights — Submersible lights continue to flicker underwater and temporarily illuminate flooded spaces with a pale green glow.Bipedal robots — Human-shaped robots perform work inside buildings, although damaged examples remain trapped in the flooded area.Shipping bots — Autonomous cargo robots move supplies along rail systems and through underground corridors.Rail-mounted collection bins — Workers load debris into bins that travel along fixed rails between work areas.Environmental status panels — Control rooms use rows of displays to present live operational, sensor, and emergency information.Immersive drone-feed AR — AR Two converts a robot's live sensor feed into a three-dimensional experience that lets an operator feel present inside the searched environment.Autonomous victim-recognition system — The pipe-swimmer identifies suits, bodies, and survival signs, then decides whether an immediate rescue attempt is possible.Many of the characters in this project appear in future episodes.Using storytelling to place you in a time period, this series takes you, year by year, into the future. From 2040 to 2195. If you like emerging tech, eco-tech, futurism, perma-culture, apocalyptic survival scenarios, and disruptive science, sit back and enjoy short stories that showcase my research into how the future may play out.The companion site is https://in20xx.comThese are works of fiction. Characters and groups are made-up and influenced by current events but not reporting facts about people or groups in the real world. This project is speculative fiction. These episodes are not about revealing what will be, but they are to excited the listener's wonder about what may come to pass.Copyright © Cy Porter 2026. All rights reserved.

On this episode of the Ruff Talk VR podcast we are back talking all the latest VR news!0:00 - Episode Start19:15 - Polyarc closes down27:55 - Real VR Fishing 7 Year Anniversary33:15 - Breachers: Outbreak canceled38:00 - Golf+ Immersive Putting44:25 - I Am Your Beast VR46:10 - Barbie Dance 'N Dream Synth Riders47:45 - Meta Project Phoenix First Look52:18 - Detective VR PS VR254:40 - Squingle Arcade PCVR56:40 - Exoshock Beta58:45 - Gunman Contracts - Stand Alone1:01:00 - Tiny Flock1:03:40 - Color-A-Cube / Walkabout Mini Golf Collab1:05:40 - Pico Space Pro FCC Certification1:08:40 - Vaelorys Playtest1:10:05 - Drop Dead: The Cabin PS VR2Discord: https://discord.gg/9JTdCccucSPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/rufftalkvrIf you enjoy the podcast be sure to rate us 5 stars and subscribe! Join our official subreddit at https://www.reddit.com/r/RuffTalkVR/Support the show

Dans cet épisode, je vous emmène avec moi dans un week-end entre amis… et dans une liste de courses qui m'a fait réaliser à quel point nos habitudes alimentaires et notre façon de nous organiser peuvent être différentes !À travers cette histoire personnelle, vous découvrirez plusieurs différences culturelles entre la France et le monde hispanophone, tout en apprenant du vocabulaire espagnol utile pour parler de la nourriture, des repas et des courses.Au programme :

This week our own Katrina Lat reports back from Venice Immersive 2026 where she shares her highlights -- mostly -- of the festival's grand collection of XR experiences.SHOW NOTESVenice Immersive 2026Venice Immersive Video Diary 2026Venice Immersive 2026 FOMO GuideSolwataRaj'in (We Shall Return)In 36,000 WaysEmpire At SeaSunset MotelFinding FridaThe Pigeon RingNevatars Back To The ExperienceNel Blu Octopocalypse Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Virginia Rojas, commercial director for El Foro, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at last month's Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas about her new Luxury Collection hotel in Seville, Spain and what it will offer guests when it debuts in spring 2027. Located at Calle Juan Sebastián Elcano along the banks of the Guadalquivir River, the hotel is part of VERA, a major new cultural and urban development connected to the historic center by a pedestrian bridge. El Foro will feature 210 residential-style guest rooms with a contemporary Spanish décor, a signature restaurant, rooftop pool, cocktail bar overlooking the Triana neighborhood, and a spa with traditional treatments. For more information, visit www.elforo-sevilla.com.  All our Insider Travel Report video interviews are archived and available on our Youtube channel  (youtube.com/insidertravelreport), and as podcasts with the same title on: Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Listen Notes, Podchaser, TuneIn + Alexa, Podbean,  iHeartRadio,  Google, Amazon Music/Audible, Deezer, Podcast Addict, and iTunes Apple Podcasts, which supports Overcast, Pocket Cast, Castro and Castbox. 

Someone is finally making a full-cast, immersive audio experience of the Book of Mormon — without changing a single word of the text.In this episode we sit down with KJ from 1830 Studios to hear the first proof-of-concept chapters of 1 Nephi.He walks us through:Why most Book of Mormon audio / dramatization projects get started and then dieHow he's building an immersive soundscape + original soundtrack around the actual scripture textThe production challenges (time, money, and scale)Plans to do the entire Book of Mormon + the narrative books of the Bible in the same “audio universe”And of course… we dream-cast the voice actors (yes, Trump as King Noah made the cut)The current chapters are free. The goal is to keep the whole library free. This one feels different.#BookOfMormon #AudioExperience #LatterDaySaints #WardRadioChapter Markers0:00 – Intro: The Book of Mormon Audio Experience1:20 – How this is different from past dramatizations3:00 – Listening to 1 Nephi Chapter 15:00 – The power of slowing down the text6:30 – “You sound like Shredder”7:30 – Why so many of these projects never finish9:30 – Money, time, and production quality11:20 – Sponsor: Go and Do Travel12:20 – Listening to the plates of brass / Laban section14:00 – Plans for the full Book of Mormon + Bible16:00 – Dream casting: Who should voice Lehi, Moroni, etc.19:30 – Trump as King Noah (and other terrible ideas)23:00 – What if Captain Moroni was short and fat?25:30 – Closing thoughtsJoin this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnmsAFGrFuGe0obW6tkEY6w/joinAmazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1AQLMTSMBM4DC?ref_=wl_shareVisit us for this and more at: WardRadio.comTo subscribe to "The Women of Ward Radio" Youtube Channel, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbu-wpRztV-8TYXClhUZhhwTo Subscribe to Cardon Ellis' Adventure Channel, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/@CardonEllisAdventuresThe following authors and/or sponsors are generously offering discounts on their gospel-related publication to Ward Radio listeners.⚡For free trial of Scripture Notes please visit the following link!: https://scripturenotes.com/?via=wardradio⚡For a discount on Tiny 3D Temples, Save 15% with code WARDRADIO at checkout or visit tiny3dtemples.com/wardradio⚡Family: A Rhyming Proclamation for Kids book visit the following linkhttps://plainandpreciouspublishing.com/products/family-a-rhyming-proclamation-for-kids . Use the code "Ward Radio" for 10% off. ⚡To Order Jonah's Book, “Lost Gems of Genesis” visit the following link and use coupon Code: WARDRADIO https://plainandpreciouspublishing.com/products/coming-soon-the-lost-gems-of-genesis-how-apocryphal-texts-prove-joseph-smith-fixed-the-bibleFor 10% off Plain and Precious Publishing Books, visit plainandpreciouspublishing.com and use Coupon Code: WARDRADIOFor a 5% discount on Go and Do Travel, visit goanddotravel.com and use the promo code WARDRADIO5#christian #mormon #exmormon #latter-daysaints #latterdaysaints #latterdays #bible #bookofmormon #archaeology #BYU #midnightmormons #jesus #jesuschrist #scriptures #sundayschool #biblestudy #christiancomedy #cardonellis #kwakuel #bradwitbeckTo support the channel:Venmo @WardRadio or visit: https://account.venmo.com/u/MidnightMormonsPaypal: paypal.me/@midnightmedia CashApp: $WardRadioFollow us at:Instagram: @cardonellis @kwakuel @braderico @boho.birdyFacebook: @WardRadioWorldwideTwitter: WardRadioShowTikTok: WardRadioWorldwide

Tim Chaten shares some thoughts about Tim Cook's tenure at Apple and MLB Immersive Broadcasts. Early episodes are available by supporting the podcast at www.visionpros.fm/patreon. Early episodes are also now available in Apple Podcasts!Show notes are available at www.VisionPros.fm. Feedback is welcomed at tim@visionpros.fm.Links:- https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/08/apple-mlb-announce-september-friday-night-baseball-schedule/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello everyone, welcome to another exciting episode of VR in Education, where we explore how virtual reality is being used to transform teaching and learning. Today, I'm joined by Laura Lynn Gonzalez, founder of 10K Science, an immersive 3D science platform that brings complex scientific ideas to life through visualization, interaction, and AI-guided inquiry. We are going to talk about how immersive learning can support science education, where it fits within the curriculum, and how we balance direct instruction with inquiry and discovery.  You can check out 10K science here, https://10k.science/ 

In this Road to PMRE episode, Reed sits down with XR-chitect and CEO of Agile Lens, Alex Coulombe to discuss the world of VR and how it's the latest and greatest in the world of real estate media. From being between dimensions, (literally and figuratively) we learn all about Alex's thoughts on AI, the technology and it's growth through the years. An experience you once thought of as isolating actually proves to be quite social and engaging. The conversation also explores tips on managing the rapid growth of AI and how it helps and threatens creatives, some of the ways it's been immensely beneficial in the real estate media circuit and how the PMRE community has encouraged business owners to be more open about both their wins and their mistakes.It's time to start thinking about PMRE 2026! Go to pmreconference.com for all the details on PMRE 2026, which is November 17-19th at Palms Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The Photography and Media for Real Estate conference will be better than ever this year! Upmarket is proud to be the official podcast of PMRE!Upmarket Pod is once again, beyond excited to partner with iGUIDE to bring you our exclusive Road to PMRE 2026 series of Upmarket episodes. SWEEPSTAKES ALERT - iGUIDE and their Tour to PMRE is giving away ONE MORE (!!!!!!) ALL-EXPENSES PAID TRIPS TO PMRE 2026!!!!! That's right, the next lucky winner will be drawn in October to win a PMRE ticket, travel and accommodation, all compliments of the fine folks at iGUIDE. To enter, all you need to do is follow @go_iguide and @upmarketpod on Instagram. Then, go to goiguide.com/pmre and enter your email address and you'll be entered in the drawing.NOTE If you have already bought a ticket and/or booked travel to PMRE and win the sweepstakes, iGUIDE will reimburse you for money spent.Follow the pod on Instagram at @upmarketpod.The Presenting Sponsor of Upmarket is AutoHDR, helping real estate media professionals deliver high-quality edited photos faster and more efficiently. As a special offer for Upmarket listeners, get one month of free photo editing with your purchase. To learn more and claim the offer, visit autohdr.com/upmarket.Another amazing sponsor is iGUIDE, which helps real estate professionals capture spaces fast and with industry-leading accuracy. Their PLANIX Pro camera delivers trusted measurements, with no subscriptions and priced per project. Options like iGUIDE Instant provide a clean 3D tour and interactive floor plan in minutes, starting at $7.99. Learn more at goiguide.com or @go_iguide.Another sponsor is HDPhotoHub, the all-in-one platform for ordering, scheduling, and delivering complete marketing kits, from video reels to print. With pay-per-listing pricing, transparent terms, and industry-leading integrations, HDPhotoHub helps you build the workflow you actually want. Visit HDPhotoHub.com and use code Upmarket to get your first 15 full deliveries free.Another amazing sponsor of Upmarket is SecondFloor, the fastest way to create a finished floor plan. It's so fast that you can deliver the finished floor plan while you are still on-site! Not only that, but you can get UNLIMITED floor plans for one low monthly fee. We love SecondFloor and you can go to secondfloorapp.com/upmarket and any new subscriber will get a one-month free trial.Our Action Items are sponsored by PixlCRM, where you can scale your real estate photography business through automation. It's an all-in-one business and marketing platform that complements your current delivery app. If you go to pixlcrm.com/upmarket you can get a 30-day risk-free trial!

Check out the new Smart Travel PodcastThis episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel PodcastIMMERSIVE - 20 Minutes at the Finnish Lakelands: Unwind at Lake Maunolanselkä (ASMR style)Grab a pair of headphones, find a quiet space, and step onto a wooden jetty in the heart of Finland.In this special soundscape episode, we're slowing things down completely. Taken from a continuous recording on the shores of Lake Maunolanselkä, this episode captures the pure, uninterrupted ambient sounds of Finnish nature—gentle water movement, birds, and the deep stillness of the summer mökki (cabin) life.After a brief reflection on what it takes to make your dream trip happen, the commentary steps away to let the environment take over for the remainder of the episode.In this episode:A short, reflective intro on slowing down and making travel happen.Authentic, unedited ambient audio recorded live at Lake Maunolanselkä, Finland.High-quality ASMR nature sounds designed for relaxation, focus, meditation, or sleep.Best experienced with headphones.Support Winging It Travel PodcastIf you enjoyed this episode:⭐ Leave a 5-star rating or review on your podcast app☕ Support the show at buymeacoffee.com/wingingit

"It thinks about the history of bells in this country and what signify and what they have been used for"

This edWeb podcast is sponsored by Immersive Reality USA, GBCStories, and The VR School.The edLeader Panel recording can be accessed here.As immersive reality and interactive 3D learning experiences become more common in K-12 instruction, educators and school leaders are exploring where these technologies may have the greatest impact on student engagement, access, retention, and curiosity across diverse learning environments. This edWeb podcast explores how interactive 3D curricula and immersive learning environments work together to create engaging learning experiences by examining the instructional differences between traditional digital content and immersive experiences that foster a greater sense of presence.Listeners hear from a superintendent who led an early district implementation of immersive, headset-free learning environments in both general and special education classrooms, alongside an expert in immersive learning and an education strategist who works with school districts on educational technology implementation. Together, they explore how interactive 3D curricula and immersive learning environments complement one another, what these approaches look like in practice across grade levels, and how district leaders can evaluate whether they are the right fit for their schools.Listeners leave the session able to:Explain how immersive reality and 3D curricula differ from traditional video, VR headsets, and other educational technology tools, and how presence impacts learning outcomesIdentify practical examples of immersive reality supporting general education, special education, and sensory-diverse learnersEvaluate readiness factors, including budget, infrastructure, staff buy-in, and instructional design, before piloting immersive reality in a district or schoolApply lessons learned from an early-adopter district to their own planning and stakeholder conversationsListeners leave with a practical framework for evaluating the instructional impact of immersive learning initiatives, key implementation considerations for their own schools or districts, and lessons learned from an early-adopter district. This edWeb podcast is of interest to elementary through high school teachers, school leaders, district leaders, special education teachers, education technology leaders, and community college professors.Immersive Reality USAAn Immersive Reality space breaks down barriers, making almost any experience possible.GBCStoriesA cutting-edge collaborative, multi-sensory virtual environment for educationThe VR SchoolThe World's First WASC-Accredited Wiley-Powered Digital AcademyDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Learn more about viewing live edWeb presentations and on-demand recordings, earning CE certificates, and using accessibility features.

Imagine putting on a headset and seven minutes later feeling like you have actually flown a light aircraft over the Grand Canyon. That is the pitch behind the Cirrus app for Apple Vision Pro, and it might be the most convincing case yet for Apple Immersive Video as a commercial format. This week's Focus Check is a special one – not a news episode, but a long-form interview. Nino talks to Anthony Bottini, Director of Media at Cirrus Aircraft, who had to sell this project internally, and to John "JR" Racine of Rogue Labs, who shot and finished it. Five days over the Arizona desert, three Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive cameras, the Top Gun: Maverick aerial team, 25 to 30 terabytes for two hours of footage – and people taking the headset off in tears.   Topics and Chapters in this Episode:   (00:00:00) Cold open: flying the Grand Canyon in a headset (00:01:06) Why Cirrus built an Apple Vision Pro app (00:01:51) Meet John "JR" Racine (Rogue Labs) and Anthony Bottini (Cirrus) (00:03:40) Selling immersive internally: Vision Pros for the global sales team (00:06:10) Five days in the desert: Page, Arizona and the weather (00:06:28) Who did what: Cirrus, Rogue Labs, Blackmagic and XBrand (00:07:59) The weather day that snow-dusted the Grand Canyon (00:09:11) Air-to-air with a fixed 180° lens (00:09:30) Kevin LaRosa, Michael FitzMaurice and the Piper Aerostar camera ship (00:11:23) Rigging and vibration: why nothing was stabilised in post (00:12:11) Why the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive made this possible (00:13:17) The limits of the medium: shooting inside a cockpit (00:15:30) One BRAW file per shot: the DaVinci Resolve workflow (00:16:16) Fixed focus from the factory (00:17:40) Lens borrowing: winning back 5 to 10 degrees of field of view (00:19:15) Directing the viewer's gaze (00:21:05) 16K, 25 to 30 terabytes and the post pipeline (00:22:33) From a December shoot to a January demo (00:23:32) "A good spatial edit is 50% of the experience" (00:26:52) Measuring success without a big installed base (00:29:35) "I've seen people cry" and the 100% scale aircraft models (00:32:13) One-off, or the start of an immersive programme? (00:34:54) Outro

In partnership with RENDR Festival and supported by the National Talent Academy for VFX, we are delighted to present this very special speaker series. Recorded live at RENDR 2026 in Banana Block, Belfast, we spoke with CG Supervisor for Sony Pictures Imageworks, Katherine Jones who served as CG Supervisor on K-Pop Demon Hunters and In Your Dreams. With over a decade in VFX and animation, Katherine has helped bring some of the industry's most iconic films to life. Her credits include Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Vivo, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Mad Max: Fury Road, Jurassic World, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Godzilla, Terminator Genisys, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Thor: The Dark World.We spoke with Katherine about her impressive career journey, the importance of strong storytelling, and the films that have meant the most to her.Listen now on SoundCloud, Apple, Spotify, Acast and Amazon, or subscribe to Film Ireland wherever you get your podcasts.https://www.filmireland.net/podcast-katherine-jones-cg-supervisor-at-sony-imageworks-k-pop-demon-hunters-spider-man-franchiseThis series was recorded in The Spinners Mill Studio, a podcast and DJ studio based in Banana Block offering tailored solutions for DJ sessions, small-scale events and podcasting from concept to final distribution. Follow them on Insta / Facebook / TikTokKatherine Jones Katherine is a CG Supervisor at Sony Pictures Imageworks, where she supervised the animated features K-Pop Demon Hunters and In Your Dreams.With more than a decade of experience in visual effects and animation, Katherine has contributed to some of the industry's most acclaimed films. Her credits at Imageworks include the Academy Award®-nominated Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Vivo, the Academy Award®-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Smallfoot, Storks, and The Emoji Movie.Before joining Imageworks, Katherine held several leadership roles at Stereo D, including VFX Supervisor, FX Stereo Supervisor, Stereo Lead, and Compositing Artist. During her time there, she worked on major blockbuster productions including Mad Max: Fury Road, Jurassic World, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Godzilla, Terminator Genisys, San Andreas, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Hercules, Need for Speed, Thor: The Dark World, and Truth. Katherine began her career at Angel Studios as a Digital Compositor, contributing to projects including La Vaca – Holy Cow.Originally from Osceola, Indiana, Katherine studied Fine Arts and Film Studies at the University of Oregon before earning a degree in Computer Animation from Full Sail University. She is also an active member of Women in Animation.RENDR FestivalThis is a unique event celebrating creative craft and artistry in a fully immersive two-day festival exploring the space between Creativity and Technology. Ignite your imagination with inspiring speakers from the worlds of Film, Gaming, Animation, Immersive, and more! Learn from the best, with 30+ creatives from the likes of Netflix, Pixar, Walt Disney Studios, and Epic Games among others.National Talent Academy for Visual EffectsAs the newest of the Academies, the National Talent Academy for VFX provides support and opportunities for anyone interested in a career in VFX. Launched in 2024, the National Talent Academy for VFX is an initiative of Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, managed by Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet. Their mission is to transform aspiring VFX artists into industry-ready professionals while providing ongoing upskilling opportunities for current talent. Through comprehensive courses and programmess, we introduce participants to best practices both locally and globally, creating clear pathways and solidifying Ireland's reputation as a premier destination for VFX. Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.So make sure to subscribe and listen back! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Science is, in a word, complicated. Fortunately, there's a drugmaker out there utilizing immersive audio and visual elements to break down some pretty heady concepts in a digestible, yet engaging way. Earlier this month, Regeneron debuted Science Illuminated, which is now available on Spotify.  The series is borne out of the work the New York-based drugmaker has undertaken across a range of therapies, with audio narration and scientific imagery produced by the company's employees.  Reporter Bella Czajkowski brings us a conversation with Regeneron's head of research communications Ella Campbell about Science Illuminated, including the drugmaker's reasoning for producing the series, how it was developed and what the company learned from experimenting with new approaches to science communication. For our Trends segment, executive editor Jack O'Brien is joined by Bella and pharma editor Lecia Bushak for thoughts about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's decision to publicly document freezing her eggs, the backlash to it as well as how this is a watershed moment for discussions around fertility treatments in America. Check us out at: mmm-online.com Follow us: YouTube: @MMM-onlineTikTok: @MMMnewsInstagram: @MMMnewsonlineTwitter/X: @MMMnewsLinkedIn: MM+M To read more of the most timely, balanced and original reporting in medical marketing, subscribe here.Music: “Deep Reflection” by DP and Triple Scoop Music. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What insights do immersive audio techniques, like Atmos, offer for emotional storytelling and how do different speaker setups influence our perception of space and emotion in music?My guest today is BZ Lewis, a producer, engineer, and mixer with over 30 years of experience. He's earned six Emmy Awards and specializes in immersive audio, working with major brands like Apple, Google, and Sony. BZ has a deep background in both stereo and Dolby Atmos mixing, with credits spanning television, film, and music.In this episode, we dive into the practicalities of working in immersive audio, exploring how Atmos expands emotional expression in music and film. BZ shares his approach to speaker setups, balancing front, rear, and overhead channels, and discusses how spatial placement can enhance storytelling. We also get into technical gear choices, from legacy analog mixers to modern digital setups, and talk about the creative process of constructing sound spaces that resonate emotionally. Whether you're curious about Atmos workflows, myth-busting headphone playback myths, or the artistry behind spatial mixing, this chat offers grounded insights from a professional.We explore how BZ uses tools like Superior Drummer for loop creation, his favorite synths for EDM, and his strategies for managing a versatile studio setup that handles everything from podcasts to atmospheric mixes. Plus, he reflects on the importance of community events like AES for networking and learning, and how holding onto vintage gear can add character to your studio.Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.comTHANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!http://UltimateMixingMasterclass.comhttps://usa.sae.edu/ The next program starts September 8, 2026 – don't wait!https://www.native-instruments.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!https://www.spectra1964.comhttps://gracedesign.com/https://RecordingStudioRockstars.com/Academyhttps://www.thetoyboxstudio.com/Listen to the podcast theme song “Skadoosh!” https://solo.to/lijshawmusicListen to this guest's discography on Apple Music:https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/dolby-atmos-playlist/pl.u-11zBMe3FKK4BbIf you love the podcast, then please leave a review: https://RSRockstars.com/ReviewCLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AT: https://RSRockstars.com/572

As our attention becomes increasingly fragmented, the value of being fully present together has never been greater. The most memorable experiences go beyond spectacle and  create a clear sense of place, invite participation, and give people something meaningful to feel together. Ann Morrow Johnson has spent her career designing those kinds of experiences. After more than a decade at Walt Disney Imagineering, she now co-leads Gensler's Entertainment practice, applying lessons from theme parks and immersive entertainment to cultural organizations, hospitality, real estate, and other physical spaces. In this episode, Ann Morrow explores why authenticity matters more than showmanship, how shifting from a scarcity mindset to a value-creation mindset can open up new possibilities, and why growing demand for shared, participatory experiences gives cultural organizations plenty of reason for optimism. --- LINKS: Gensler 2025 Immersive Industry Report: https://www.gensler.com/gri/immersive-industry-report-2025  No Proscenium: https://www.noproscenium.com/

Coral Expeditions has added an 11-night citizen science voyage aboard Coral Discoverer, sailing 700 nautical miles from Bundaberg to Cairns departing March 31, 2027, with research partners Project Manta and Great Barrier Reef Legacy and calls at Lady Elliot Island, the Museum of Underwater Art at John Brewer Reef, Dunk Island and Port Douglas. Grand Voyages, a cruise docuseries co-created by producers Stacey Parks and Jennifer Scully for Media Sparks Entertainment, began streaming on Amazon Prime Video in the United States and United Kingdom on August 1, 2026, with a first season featuring Uniworld's La Venezia, Holland America Line's Rotterdam and Riverside Ravel, and a second season featuring Windstar's Star Legend and Roald Amundsen set for a fourth-quarter 2026 debut. And Scenic Group has opened early advisor access to its 2028 Europe river cruise season, with a revised Spectacular South of France itinerary running Lyon to Tarascon and extending to Chalon-sur-Saone, plus new French Riviera, Grand Castles of the Loire, Brittany and Munich extensions.

Nick and J.P. talking about the Browns hosting an immersive experience for the new stadium in Brook Park.

Four years after appearing on Critical Literary Consumption to discuss his debut, When We Fell Apart, Soon Wiley returns with CeCe Downing's Start Over Summer, a complex beach read. Wiley considers, again, the fluidity of genre, books he thought of while writing CeCe's story and the question of class that emerges when asking what makes a good partner or relationship. We also talk about the idealization of New England town halls and summers, both of which were subverted in Wiley's second novel. He also shares stories about his research rabbit holes for his secondary story, on bureaucracy, environmentalism, and zoning laws. And, of course, we talk about the questions and concerns that arise when a man writes a romance.

Google unveils the Pixel 11 lineup and takes on Wispr Flow dictation and computational photography, Zuck writes an AI manifesto about wanting to be with the cool kids, Claude explains how it plans to label AI-generated text, and Spotify tries to end podcasting again.Member Promo Code: IWANTCHAPTERS (Click above and the $2.50 promo will be auto applied!)Top Five Tech | Stephen's PodcastCreative Effort | Jason's PodcastWatch on YouTube!Show Notes via EmailEmail Us: podcast@primarytech.fm@stephenrobles on Threads@jasonaten on ThreadsSponsors:Decagon.ai - Go to  decagon.ai/primaryto get a personalized demo and see what Decagon can do for your team.Links from the showApple Announces 3D MLB Games Coming to Vision Pro - MacRumorsThe 7 biggest announcements of Google's Pixel 11 launch | The VergeMade by Google '26 - YouTubeGoogle's Magic Camera - Instagram ReelGoogle aims for influencers with the Pixel 11 Creator Suite | The VergeGoogle is making the Pixel cameras better by making them worse | The VergeGoogle Unveils $29 Pixel Tag to Take On Apple's AirTag - MacRumorsThe Future is for EveryoneHow to spot AI writingHow Claude marks AI-generated content | Claude Help CenterSpotify threatens industry with ad-skipping toolSpotify will label 'AI Persona' profiles and exclude their music from recommendations | TechCrunchOpenAI puts the brakes on a new model because it's supposedly too powerful | The VergeYouTube now requires creators to have twice as many watch hours to start earning money | TechCrunchI made the PC I couldn't buy - YouTube (00:00) - Intro (08:25) - MLB in Immersive (12:13) - Pixel 11 Event (15:07) - Rambler Dictation (20:17) - Switching to Pixel (24:02) - Creator Suite and Camera (35:01) - Sponsor: Decagon (37:17) - Zuck's AI Fever Dream (55:48) - Claude to Watermark Text (01:06:48) - Spotify Tries to Kill Podcasting (01:14:03) - YouTube Makes Monetization Harder (01:21:44) - Kanightmare (Kan Do App) ★ Support this podcast ★

Risk, Rears, and ReverbMarv reunites with two old friends from the Nottinghamshire music scene — Dolby Atmos mixing engineer Kurt Martinez and music educator/dementia-charity worker Rob Huskinson — for a wide-ranging chat about immersive audio, career risk-taking, and what it actually means to teach music in 2026.Kurt walks through how he backed into podcast/audio-drama mixing via Audible's early Atmos launch, why documentaries and scripted drama get treated completely differently in the mix (stage-setting vs. free-roaming immersion), and the gunshot-and-bullet-trajectory example that shows just how precisely spatial audio storytelling can get. He also talks through mixing Kylie Minogue's latest album in Atmos — commuting with it on AirPods Max, checking it on a Sonos speaker while doing housework, and revisiting it recently on 7.1.4 headphones to see how it's held up.Rob brings the conversation into music education, talking about designing a curriculum that starts from what's relevant to students now rather than working backwards from music history, and his work with Open Door, a Nottinghamshire dementia day service, where he helps organise carer support events (money management, physiotherapy, nutrition) alongside the day-to-day group sessions. There's also a candid stretch on ADHD, time management, and the different but complementary ways Kurt and Rob each work in a studio.The three of them close on the value of informal networking ("smooshy events"), the risks each of them took to build a freelance/portfolio career, and what's next for each — including Season 2 of I Am Not Nicholas, out now.In this episode:How Kurt got into Dolby Atmos, from a Guinness cinema ad to mixing I Am Not Nicholas for BBC/AudibleThe difference between mixing music, scripted audio drama, and documentary in AtmosMixing Kylie Minogue's latest album in immersive audioBuilding a curriculum around student relevance vs. music historyOpen Door — a Nottinghamshire dementia day service, and Rob's work with carersADHD, time management, and studio workflowCareer risk-taking, freelancing, and the value of informal networkingWhat's next: I Am Not Nicholas S2, new Alfie Duke and Meek singles, The Script's new albumGuests:Kurt Martinez — Dolby Atmos mixing engineer (Audible, BBC, I Am Not Nicholas, Kylie Minogue) — find him on LinkedIn and InstagramRob Huskinson — music lecturer and grants/events lead for Open Door dementia day service — find him on LinkedIn

On today's Disney podcast, we're talking about the most immersively themed restaurants (and a couple of lounges) in all of Walt Disney World. From the restaurant itself to the themed food and drinks to the staff who routinely play roles in your dining experience (in addition to serving the food), these restaurants all stand out to us based on immersion. Which ones do you love and which ones do you hate? Enjoy! This episode is sponsored by Fantastical Vacations. For free concierge vacation planning, specializing in Disney and Universal Vacations, visit https://www.fantasticalvacations.com We would love you to join us on Patreon! Thanks so much for supporting the show. We also have Addicted to the Mouse Merchandise! You can check it out at https://addictedtothemerch.com Thanks so much for listening! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and catch us every Sunday for the podcast. Join us every Sunday and Wednesday evening as we take you to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, on Disney Cruise Line, Universal Studios and everywhere in between! We can be found at www.addictedtothemouse.com and be reached at danandleslie@addictedtothemouse.com Please also connect with us here: Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/addictedtothemouse Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/@AddictedtotheMouse Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/AddictedtotheMouse/ Instagram – https://instagram.com/addictedtothemouse/ The post The Most Immersive Dining in Disney World (And Where to Book!) appeared first on Addicted to the Mouse.

I gave a lecture about "Blending the Elements of Experiential Design" on Saturday, June 6, 2026 at Seattle XR in Seattle, Washington. (PDF of Slides]. At the end, I run through some examples of the types of interdisciplinary fusion that I see within the context of immersive storytelling and immersive art. This lecture also digs into the process-relational philosophical foundations, as well as how I'm gaining additional inspiration from Empedocles, Aristotle, and the Classical Quadrivium (Four Arts) of Math, Music, Geometry, and Astronomy. For my 30+ hours of coverage of Venice Immersive, then I apply this archetypal framework to help describe the context, quality, character, and story of each of these projects. You can see an overview of how I've been using this framework in this PDF on "Venice Immersive 2025 Archetypal Categorizations" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01M5NcOYzx0 One of goals of this talk was to further define the archetypal nature of the elements, and how I'm conceiving of them as a possibility space of design tradeoffs (C.S. Peirce's "Firstness"), but also as the concrete decisions that an experiential designer makes ("Secondness"), and then finally how these decisions are experienced more from a phenomenological experience as the audience as we feel, sense, act, and make sense of these experiences, and what they might mean ("Thirdness"). I do not actually dive into Peirce's concepts of Firstness, Secondness, or Thirdness in this specific talk, but I wanted to elaborate on these concepts in this write-up as these have been crucial concepts to help translate the overall abstract Firstness quality of my talk, and ground it into the Secondness of something that is a bit more practical and pragmatic. For Peirce, his semiology is grounded into a triune theory of actualization that goes from a non-Boolean possibility space as Firstness, and then grounds into a Boolean actualization of secondness, and then an interpretant mediates from the concreteness of the Secondness object back to the Firstness of the fundamental archetypal qualities or meaning. I find speculative philosopher James Bradley's summary of the Peirce's triune semiology to be the most easy to digest in his essay titled, "Beyond Hermeneutics: Peirce's Semiology as a Trinitarian Metaphysics of Communication." I can also recommend this article on "Peirce's Theory of Signs" from the The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy for a comprehensive recap, and there's also this excellent YouTube series primer by Philosign's Markus Raninen titled The Basics of Semiotics. But here's Bradley's description of Firstness, Secondness, and Thirdness, which I find myself coming back to again and again. "Within the fundamental speculative triunity of activity, difference and order, or firstness, secondness and thirdness, semiology is an analysis of order or thirdness… Thirdness is analyzed as idea or sign, as the exchange of information between individual entities, and as interpretation; in other words, thirdness is itself a threefold of sign, object and interpretant. Here, sign occupies the position of firstness because it is the potentiality for interpretation; object occupies that of secondness because it is determinate; and the interpretant occupies that of thirdness because the interpretant has the sign-interpreting or sign-ordering role, and so has the status of a third. [24] Thus for Peirce semiology is the analysis of the triune relation of sign, object and interpretant." It's still a bit obtuse, and one way that I like to think about it is through the experience of communication. You have a possibility space of meaning you want to convey (Firstness of the sign/potential), then you choose specific words that convey that meaning (Secondness of the object), then someone listens to those words and phrases, and then connects those words back to a meaning space (Thirdness of the interpretant mediating between the two). For Peirce, each of the Firstness, Secondness, and Thirdness can also refer to themselves, like you can have a Firstness of Thirdness or Secondness of Firstness. It gets a little bit confusing, but I found the following graphic from Collected Essays in Speculative Philosophy (2021) by James Bradley and edited by Sean McGrath to be very useful. Within the context of immersive storytelling, then it's a semiotic process of communication of meaning where you're able to use all sorts of affordances from game design, literature, social dynamics and relations, music, film, lighting, architecture, dance, theme park design, sensory design, and embodiment. My Elemental Theory of Presence attempts to simplify this into the following: Fire Element of Active Presence: Interactivity, Agency, Game Design Air Element of Mental & Social Presence: Meaning, Semiotics, Language, Possibility, Form, Relationality Water Element of Emotional Presence: Experiential Processes, Story, Film, Music, Cycles, Time Earth Element of Environmental & Embodied Presence: Sensory, Immersive, Worldbuilding, Space I elaborate on the various philosophical frameworks that I'm leaning up within this talk that I gave on June 6, 2026, but since then I've been diving more into Peirce and his Triune Metaphysics and Semiology of Firstness, Secondness, and Thirdness, which has been a helpful framework as I've been applying the elements to my Venice Immersive Coverage and categorizing the elemental center of gravity for each of the nearly 40 projects that I covered. Again see this framework in this PDF on "Venice Immersive 2025 Archetypal Categorizations" to see how I have been thinking about each of these projects. I used this approach in the introductions for each of my podcast episodes from Venice (see the links down below). Firstness of Fire: Creativity, Novelty, Intention, Purpose, Goals, & Aristotle's Final Cause Secondness of Fire: Interactivity & Core Gameplay Loops Thirdness of Fire: Agency & Will For Active Presence Examples of Fire: Game Design, Locomotion Options: No Movement, Automatic movement, Teleportation, or free roaming. The LIVENESS of the Live, To what degree does the experience encourage the expression of will and agency? And to what degree does that alter how the narrative unfolds (narrative agency vs participatory interactive moments that customize and flavor the experience)? Adventure, Exploration, Creativity, Novelty, Freedom, Will, and Collective Action. System Dynamics, & iterative feedback loops Firstness of Air: Peirce's "Sign," Intended Meaning, Pattern & Form, Archetypal Possibility Spaces, Relationality, & Aristotle's Formal Cause Secondness of Air: Peirce's "Object" Within A Triadic Semiotic Process (i.e. a specific action, word, harmonic, or action that points to a larger meaning.) Thirdness of Air: Peirce's "Interpretant," Sensemaking Thoughts, Expectations, & Social Dynamics For Mental & Social Presence Examples of Air: Literature, Language, Semiotics, Communication, Symbols, Abstractions. Single Player vs Multi-Player, Suspension of Disbelief and Plausibility, Social Dynamics, Anticipation of the Future, Possibility Spaces, Types of Choices. Realms of Speculative Imagination, How is meaning communicated? Dialogue amongst characters, voice-over narration, environmental storytelling, non-verbal associative dream logic. Mental friction from puzzles. Rules & Mechanics. Use of certain types of AI and Conversational Interfaces with Virtual Beings Firstness of Water: Time, Cycles, Harmonics, Value, & Aristotle's "Material Cause" (in Whitehead's event ontology, then base reality is processes, relationships, and possibilities of value & not Substance) Secondness of Water: Experiential Processes That Provide Contrasts Thirdness of Water: Feelings for Emotional Presence Examples of Water: Cinematic Film Tradition, Music, Harmonics, Rhythm, Pacing, Editing, Contrasts, Emotion, Memory, Dreams, Images, Soul, Psyche, Symbols, Lighting, Mood, Collective Unconscious Firstness of Earth: Space, World, Context, & Aristotle's Efficient Cause Secondness of Earth: Environment & Worldbuilding With Situated Perspectives in that Context Thirdness of Earth: Sensory Perception & Sense of Place for Embodied & Environmental Presence Examples of Earth: Worldbuilding of a spatial context & culture. Architecture, Theater, Theme Park Design, Dance, Are you a ghost or an embodied character? Sensory Experience: Touch/Haptics, Hearing/Spatial Sound, Smells, Vision. Relation of Immersive Tech to Environment as either VR, MR, or AR. Virtual CGI vs Cinematic 180/360 Video, Again, check out this PDF on "Venice Immersive 2025 Archetypal Categorizations" to see how I've ranked nearly 40 projects from Venice Immersive 2025 on the relative elemental center of gravity. Some projects feel more like a cinematic immersive film, which would be a bit more biased towards the Water Element. Some projects are more focused on the experience of a world that was build, and more focused on the Earth Element. Some projects are asking you to Read a book together with other people, which is more focused on the Air Element. And then other more game-like experiences are focused on using interactions as their primary mode of engagement, and so they're more focused on the fire element. There are 64 total combinations of the elements in terms of the first, second, third, or four centers of gravity, and you can see the comprehensive visualization here: Technically, all four elements are always happening all at once all at the same time. However, in experiential design, then creators can emphasize and blend elements together. So I find that ranking the elements can be helpful in determining an overall center of gravity, and that looking at the first two centers of gravity can achieve a sufficient job of creating some ad hoc, immersive and "elemental genres....

Vision ProFiles is the weekly podcast for dedicated Apple Vision Pro users, covering the news, apps, and community happenings shaping spatial computing.BETA NEWS: VISIONOS 27 BETA 5 AND THE FALL RELEASE CYCLE- visionOS Release Notes https://developer.apple.com/documentation/visionos-release-notes/visionos-27-release-notes- Apple Rolls Out the Fifth Developer Betas of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, and More https://appleosophy.com/2026/08/10/apple-rolls-out-the-fifth-developer-betas-of-ios-27-ipados-27-macos-27-and-more/TOP STORY: LIVE MLB GAMES COME TO VISION PRO IN APPLE IMMERSIVE- Friday Night Baseball Gets an Immersive Upgrade on Apple Vision Pro https://www.cultofmac.com/news/friday-night-baseball-gets-an-immersive-upgrade-on-apple-vision-pro- Apple Announces 3D MLB Games Coming to Vision Pro https://www.macrumors.com/2026/08/10/apple-announces-3d-mlb-games-on-vision-pro/FEATURE: VISION PRO FINDS A HOME IN THE OPERATING ROOM- The First Peer-Reviewed Vision Pro Surgery Trial Is In: 19 Percent Faster, Identical Outcomes https://vr.org/articles/vision-pro-surgery-study-19-percent-faster-2026- Apple Vision Pro Speeds Up Surgery by Almost 20% https://www.macrumors.com/2026/08/05/apple-vision-pro-speeds-up-surgery/- Surgeons Enthuse About What a Great Bargain Apple Vision Pro Is https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/08/05/surgeons-enthuse-about-what-a-great-bargain-apple-vision-pro-is- Vision Pro Is a Niche Product, But an Incredibly Valuable One in the Right Hands https://9to5mac.com/2026/08/06/vision-pro-is-a-niche-product-but-an-incredibly-valuable-one-in-the-right-hands/- Apple Vision Pro May Have Found Its Reason to Exist — and It's Not VR Games https://www.macworld.com/article/3207984/apple-vision-pro-may-have-found-its-reason-to-exist-and-its-not-vr-games.htmlHARDWARE CORNER: A $799 CHALLENGER STEPS UP- URXR One Review: A $799 Apple Vision Pro Alternative https://www.geeky-gadgets.com/urxr-1-review/- r/augmentedreality: Full Review of the URXR One — "A Bigger…" https://www.reddit.com/r/augmentedreality/comments/1vdolip/here_is_my_full_review_of_the_urxr_one_a_bigger/COMMUNITY & DEV CORNER- How to Create an Immersive Website Environment in visionOS 27 https://x.com/spatialinsider/status/2085787648040583608- "My Favourite Apple Vision Pro Project So Far" (r/VisionPro) — Blockworks https://www.reddit.com/r/VisionPro/comments/1vj922m/my_favourite_apple_vision_pro_project_so_far/- r/milkdrop: "Update — High Videlity Now Runs on iPhone, iPad" https://www.reddit.com/r/milkdrop/comments/1vfvr8k/update_high_videlity_now_runs_on_iphone_ipad/- High Videlity https://highvidelity.com/- "Reincarnated as a Dungeon Designer, I Have to Work…" (r/VisionPro) https://www.reddit.com/r/VisionPro/comments/1vi7847/reincarnated_as_a_dungeon_designer_i_have_to_work/- TestFlight: Cockpit — A Glanceable Dock for visionOS (r/VisionPro) https://www.reddit.com/r/VisionPro/comments/1viqghi/testflight_cockpit_a_glanceable_dock_for_visionos/- Working with Siri on AVP and Through MVD (r/VisionPro) https://www.reddit.com/r/VisionPro/comments/1vj9g14/working_with_siri_on_avp_and_through_mvd/APPS- Scanline: 8-Bit Emulator https://apps.apple.com/us/app/scanline-8-bit-emulator/id6782712613- Blockworks — Elastic Sea • Spatial Building https://apps.apple.com/us/app/blockworks-spatial-building/id6753267138- SailGP RaceScape XR App https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sailgp-racescape-xr/id6742781005CONTACT / CONNECT WITH VISION PROFILESYouTube: @VisionProfiles (live Mondays 9 PM EST)Website: ThePodTalk.netEmail: ThePodTalkNetwork@gmail.com

I interviewed Sister Sylvester about Constantinopoliad on Friday, September 12, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for Constantinopoliad: "Constantinopoliad is a collective reading and audio work. A response to the archive of the poet Constantine Cavafy, the story is inspired by the blank and torn-out pages in Constantinopoliad, an Epic, the journal the teenage Cavafy began when he and his family fled Alexandria; by lost and missing queer archives through time; and by the ghosts, both erotic and historical, that visit the older Cavafy in his poems." Here are the contextual domains that are explored: The exploration of identity [1] as a person has moved from his home [4], and into a distant land [9] with some feelingsof being exiled [12], but also the implication of homosexuality [5] within the context of having to remain hidden or taboo [12]. It's dipping into the vast archive [9] of Cavafy's expressions of identity [1] and poetry and art [5], and recontextualizing as these universal experiences that are still very much relevant today [9]. Here is the Elemental Center of Gravity: 1st Center of Gravity of Air Element / Mental and Social Presence: collaboratively reading together - narrative distillation of an archive. You listening to the audio narration, but you have to negotiate how to co-read this "book" object together. The form of this "book" also deviates from normal book where it is part pop-up book, but also a flat stage to be explored with the other person. This externalized book becomes a bit of an abstracted theatrical stage for the story as it unfolds, but there are also more explicitly architectural elements to this "book" object as well. The piece also creates an implicit invitation to connect and talk with your audience partner afterwards about the piece2nd Center of Gravity of Water Element / Emotional Presence: AMAZING MUSIC + time-based narration + lighting. There's some amazing synchrony between the music, the timing of the reading, as well as the lighting. It really gives a strong sense of time. The reading of the story almost feels like a narrative podcast of sorts, but is mostly a matter of convenience of recording of the live performance so that it could be toured at immersive festivals without the burden of paying for all of the performers and musicians.3rd Center of Gravity of Earth Element / Environmental and Embodied Presence: Book like object as an architectural artifact, and has a whole spatial journey. The installation also had tables with lighting effects, but also there were projctions that were happening within the space as well. Most of the focus of spatial experience happens within the context of the architectural nature of the "book" object, but the other theatrical elements of the environment definitely help to cultivate an overall mood.4th Center of Gravity of Fire Element / Active Presence: Explore the story through various interactions. There's no narrative agency per se, although one could deviate from directly reading along with the text. There's an implicit contract to stay on course with your actions since you're negotiating the experience with another person. Archetypal Themes and Character Explored: Exploration of the "lost and missing queer archives through time; and by the ghosts, both erotic and historical, that visit the older Cavafy in his poems" Artist Statement: "My favorite response to this work was an audience member who described it as 'making love to a stranger through a book'. The work invites audiences into a sensual and concrete encounter with Cavafy's life and poems: fingers making contact with history; illumination revealing images from between the pages; sounds conjuring the ghosts of 19th century Alexandrian cabarets. With words by sister sylvester, score by Nadah El Shazly, and illustrations by Efrîn Özyetis, Constantinopoliad is a multi-sensory encounter with the past, and with forgotten stories that can haunt us into new imaginings for the present." You can see the projects I covered at Venice Immersive 2025 categorized in this image: Below, you will find links to my 30+ hours of my coverage from Venice Immersive 2025 across 39 episodes. I've categorized the experiences according to these "elemental genres," which is looking at the top two elemental centers of gravity. You can listen to this episode or watch the video version of "The Blending the Elements on Experiential Design" YouTube on for more details. #1650: Sneak Peak of Venice Immersive 2025 Selection with Curators Liz Rosenthal and Michel Reilhac #1750: Doug Liman's "Asteroid" Short Immersive Film with Google Gemini Story Extension + Kickoff of Venice Immersive 2025 Coverage #1751: "Ghost Town" Narrative Integration in Puzzle Adventure with Exquisite Worldbuilding #1752: Blending Embodied Game & Narrative Genres with "One True Path, Part 1" #1753: Mixed Reality Town-Building and Sim Game "Wall Town Wonders" #1754: Screen Life Thriller "LILI" about Surveillance Fuses Game Design, Film, and MacBeth Adaptation #1755: Hand-Tracked Sign Language as Story Beat Triggers in "Eddie and I" #1756: Exploring Narrative Potential of Generative AI in "8pm and the Cat" #1757: Embody a Geranium in Immersive Comedy about Boredom in "The Great Escape" #1758: Reckoning with Mental Health Taboos in Japan with "If You See a Cat" Immersive Animation #1759: Mother-Daughter Team Explore Personal Challenges with Depression and Anxiety in "Mirage" Immersive Animation #1760: Immersive Fairy Tale about Automation with "The Sad Story of the Little Mouse Who Wanted to Become Somebody" #1761: Unpacking the Immersive Orchestral Mix of "1968" with Massimiliano Borghesi #1762: Fusing Experimental Immersive Animation with Cutting-Edge Orchestral Spatial Audio Mix in "1968" #1763: Blending Theater and 360 Video in "Re-Launching-Luigi-Broglio" #1764: Mixing Hand-Drawn Animation with 360 Video in "The Time Before" #1765: Immersive Action Thriller "Mulan 2125" Pushes the Edge of Graphical Fidelity #1766: Formula 1 LBE Experience "Black Cats & Chequered Flags" is an Immersive Biopic of Alberto Anscari #1767: Immersive Journey through Special Effects Pioneer Carlo Rambaldi's Paintings in "Alien Perspective" #1768: Symbolic Journey through Lithuania's Artist Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis' Paintings in "Creation of the World" #1769: Mixed Reality Musical on Avatars and Identity in "First Virtual Suit" #1770: Eastern Philosophy-Inspired Fusion of Theater and XR with "Mnemosyne" #1771: Environmental Storytelling in "The Great Orator" VR Diorama with Generative AI Experiments #1772: Climate Change Spatial Montage "Out of Nowhere" Aspires to Move Towards Rewilding Prevention #1773: "Collective Body" Assigns Elemental Avatars Based Upon Archetypal Dance Movements #1774: Combining Live Dance and Music in Immersive LBE Performance "L'ombre (The Shadow)" #1775: The Continuous Spatial One-Shot of Backlight's "La Magie Opera" LBE #1776: The Spatial Grammar Innovations of Dialectical Contrasts and Abstraction within "The Big Cube" #1777: Active Imagination, Associative Dream Logic, & Embodied Interactions in "Sense of Nowhere" #1778: Collaborative Social Game and Story of "Happy Shadow" #1779: "Heartbeat" Immersive, 1-on-1 Biometric Synchronization and Involuntary Collective Agency #1780: Recap of VRChat Worlds Gallery at Venice Immersive 2025 with Mike Salmon #1781: Winner of Venice Immersive 2025 "The Clouds Are Two Thousand Meters Up" Innovates on Gaussian Splats & Spatial Storytelling #1782: "A Long Goodbye" Wins 3rd Place Prize at Venice Immersive with Emotionally-Moving Story on Dementia and Spatial Grammar Innovations #1783: "Less Than 5gr of Saffron" Wins 2nd Place Prize at Venice Immersive with Spatial Poem Quill Animation #1784: The Incredible Spatial Transitions of "Dark Rooms" with Radical Consent Innovations #1785: The Landmark Achievements of "Blur" in Fusing Theater, Montage, Mixed Reality, and LBE VR #1786: Collective Reading Experience of "Constantinopoliad" Provokes Discussion on Defining "Immersive" #1787: Blending the Elements of Experiential Design & Process-Relational Foundations of the Elements This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

I interviewed Négar Motevalymeidanshah & Gwenaelle Clauwaert about Less Than 5gr of Saffron on Saturday, August 30, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for Less Than 5gr of Saffron: "Golnaz is a young Iranian immigrant trying to adjust to her new life in Germany. One evening, returning from her job (as an assistant at a migrant reception centre in the Berlin suburbs), she is starving, and her refrigerator is empty. She decides to go to the nearest supermarket. The supermarket has just received a new product: saffron. Even though it is very expensive for her, she cannot resist: she buys a packet of saffron. Emotions overwhelm her. She feels the need to cook a home-cooked meal to help her overcome her homesickness. She prepares rice and adds saffron, a comfort food from her past. But she never expected that this moment would plunge her back into the most traumatic events of her life. Most notably, three years ago, she survived a tragic drowning that took her family while traveling illegally by boat." Here are the contextual domains that are explored: Exile and being a refugee [12]. Takes place in a new [4] home far from home [9] whose memory of family who died [8] all brought back through the embodied experience of food and saffron [1]. "The project evokes our capacity to identify profoundly with a survivor by placing her in a universally familiar-preparing a meal." Here is the Elemental Center of Gravity: 1st Center of Gravity of Earth Element / Environmental and Embodied Presence: Quinitessential and paradigmatic example of spatial storytelling taking through a variety of immersive and spatial contexts with seamless transitions and edits. Also switches between 3rd person and 1st person POV2nd Center of Gravity of Water Element / Emotional Presence: Like living within a Lucid Dream, very dynamic, poetic. It's cut to music, and so it very much has a music video type pacing and rhythm. Some really elegant spatial transitions, and powerful moments that use metaphors that were just extremely visceral and moving. The piece very much relies upon flashbacks and memories of traumatic moments of escaping authoritarian contexts. So you start off in the mudance context of a kitchen from a first-person POV, but then upon smelling the saffron spice, then it immediately transports you into these violent memories of being an exiled refugee. It's also farily brief, and so short and sweet.3rd Center of Gravity of Air Element / Mental and Social Presence: No words, Poetic Dream Logic. Meaning is discerned through the poetic interpretations of the juxtaposition of a visual and spatial storytelling lanuage. Very powerfully done.4th Center of Gravity of Fire Element / Active Presence: No narrative agency or any embodied Interactions Archetypal Themes and Character Explored: Connections to flavors and smells of food to memory. Sadness, harshness, limitations, constraint. Sudden and unexpected trauma -- "she never expected that this moment would plunge her back into the most traumatic events of her life" Artist Statement: "Less than 5 Gr of Saffron tackles a subject we think we've already seen too much of: the often tragic circumstances under which many migrants flee their home countries in search of a better future. A hundred times, stories of shipwrecks and the numbers of those drowned have filled our screens, anonymous people who disappear from our memories with a snap of the fingers. The project evokes our capacity to identify profoundly with a survivor by placing her in a universally familiar-preparing a meal. In today's extremely violent context, this empathetic experience helps to rekindle within us a common humanity, whether we have experienced such trauma firsthand or not." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7VtxTHx_H0 This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

I interviewed Kate Voet & Victor Maes about A Long Goodbye on Saturday, August 30, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for A Long Goodbye: "A Long Goodbye tells the story of Ida, a 72-year-old pianist living with dementia. In this animated, interactive VR experience, we walk in Ida's shoes. We experience a day in her life, as her reality is fading. The apartment, where she spent a lifetime with her beloved husband Daniel, first feels empty and undefined. When we interact with objects and play the tape recordings of her husband, her playful world gradually comes to life, as if drawn in paint before our eyes. Like pieces of a puzzle, memories and conversations help Ida to rediscover herself. But we also discover Daniel's struggles, as he hopes to stay connected and realises their remaining time together may be short. A Long Goodbye is a poetic experience about the impact of dementia, but above all it is about love and the long goodbye of two lovers who shared a life together." Here are the contextual domains that are explored: Self and Identity [1], and the loss [8] of memory [1]. All the ways that we capture and record our identity [1]. "Like pieces of a puzzle, memories and conversations help Ida to rediscover herself." Artifacts of shared experiences and memories shared within the spatial context of a home [4], Husband [7] caretaker [7] of the main character with Ida, "72-year-old pianist living with dementia." Music [5], wihch was a part of her career [10], and the various adventures they had together [9] Here is the Elemental Center of Gravity: 1st Center of Gravity of Emotional Presence: Narrative-driven, animation with lots of immersive & interactive components. The pacing is gated with interactive actions, and the movement of your body seamlessly blends into various things like change blindness edits. An incredible score with different themes for different characters, and the world starts to change and dissolve as the main protagonists memory also fades giving you a sense of time, and unfolding processes. Victor is also a cinematographer, and so there's lots of canny translations of cinematic grammar into an emerging spatial grammar. VERY EMOTIONALLY IMPACTFUL2nd Center of Gravity of Earth Element / Environmental and Embodied Presence: An incredibly transportative world with a very distinct water coloreque aesthetic. Lots of embodied movement through this piece. Also some mashing up of contexts between these worlds that is reminescent of Meow Wolf. There's quite a lot of void space to help direct attention, but also makes excellent use of available space. There's physical movements paired with virtual locomotion. And the physical installation with post-it notes also helped created a strong magic cirlce for the piece. You are also embodied as Ida - as you learn about yourself as she has to do each and every day. From their artist statement, Kate and Victor said, "When we put the VR headset on, the first questions that come to mind are: Who am I? And where am I? This confusion is exactly what our protagonist is dealing with and this became the starting point of the story."3rd Center of Gravity of Fire Element / Active Presence: Interactions that gate the narrative in order to help modulate the pacing of the story. Free to physically move within space, but also paired with virtual locomotion. They aspired to allow people to be able to wander through the story and you get a bit lost along the way. So TRUE!4th Center of Gravity of Air Element / Mental and Social Presence: Dialogue amongst the characters, and also tape recording. Nice blend of metaphoric memory and dream logic with an amazingly well-written script. But also a puzzle-like structure as you piece together the story. Archetypal Themes and Character Explored: Memory. Loss, Grief, Death. The slow dissolving of the structures of memory as reflected within the sparse void-like architecture of the piece itself reflecting this slipping away into liminality. The love that they share within their partnership. "a poetic experience about the impact of dementia, but above all it is about love and the long goodbye of two lovers who shared a life together." So talking about the details of the condition, but also the caretaker / partner who is living with this condition "A Long Goodbye is at once a personal and a universal story about human connection. It serves as a reminder that people are always so much more than their illness. Instead of focusing on what is lost, we need to stay close and hold on to shared affection." Artist Statement: "When we put the VR headset on, the first questions that come to mind are: Who am I? And where am I? This confusion is exactly what our protagonist is dealing with and this became the starting point of the story. We were drawn to this theme because of Victor's grandfather who lived with Alzheimer's disease, and whose health declined rapidly after Victor's grandmother passed. The experience of having witnessed this emotional transformation close by, made us explore how dementia is experienced and how it influences the relationship with your past, with yourself and with your loved ones. A Long Goodbye is at once a personal and a universal story about human connection. It serves as a reminder that people are always so much more than their illness. Instead of focusing on what is lost, we need to stay close and hold on to shared affection." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-kttoua1PA This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

I interviewed Singing Chen about The Clouds Are Two Thousand Meters Up on Monday, September 1, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for The Clouds Are Two Thousand Meters Up: "After the sudden death of his wife, Guan discovers her unfinished novel — a tale intertwining the endangered clouded leopard and the Rukai tribe's sacred origin myth, which tells of their descent from the elusive animal. Grief-stricken and seeking connection, he sets out on a surreal journey into dreamlike scenes — a maze of the subconscious, mistshrouded forests, ancient tree hollows and symbolic inner landscapes. Adapted from a short story by acclaimed Taiwanese author Wu Ming-Yi, The Clouds Are Two Thousand Meters Up is a single-user, free-roaming VR experience that blends literature and memory into an intimate exploration of love, loss and self-reflection." Here are the contextual domains that are explored: Exploration of indigenous myths [9] as the protagonist goes on an epic journey into these imaginal (or real) realms [9]. It's a husband whose's wife [7] has died [8], and he's picking up clues from her work [10] as a writer as he explore her office [10], gets lost within a maze [12], and then he embarks on this adventure [9] deep into nature and the forest [4] Here is the Elemental Center of Gravity: 1st Center of Gravity of Earth Element / Environmental and Embodied Presence: Blends a number of different spatial capture techniques from traditional CGI modeling to Gaussian Splats. Very high resolution spatial capture. Lots of theme park type of feel whilst exporing the maze portion, and recreated a spatial journey where you feld like you had some wandering agency. But it was all still very contained and constrained, but felt like a bit of using your body movemnt to edit and pace through the piece. You're mostly an invisible ghost without any embodiment, although there are some scenes where you have agency to move around, but there's other scenes where you're more of an invisible audience. Some incredible technical breakthroughs to fuse it all together.2nd Center of Gravity of Water Element / Emotional Presence: Very narrative and story-driven overall, with a lot of influences from the cinematic tradition, especially during the first half. There's some cinematic cut scenes inspired from film. Some spatial embodied movement of spatial storytelling, The last half involves more of theatrically staged dialogue, where the overall spatial context stays static, and so the experience of time is more like being at a thearical play. Having volumetrically captured actors actually makes a huge difference in communicating the subtleness of emotionality via their facial expressions that is much harder than how emotions are captured on film. This piece stands in the volumetric capture techniques, fused with traditional CGI as well as with Gaussian Splats.3rd Center of Gravity of Air Element / Mental and Social Presence: Based upon a book, and so it has quite a literary feel, but also some scenes with extended dialogue. Overall, it's a bit of a mystery as the husband investigates the research archives of his wife, who was digging into an indigenous myth, and he comes to find out that it is completely TRUE. So there's lots of elements of magical realism, but also poetic dreamlogic and spatial storytelling. The maze scene has some post-it notes that deliver voice over. It's a single-player experience, but you share spatial contexts with some volumetrically-captured performances.4th Center of Gravity of Fire Element / Active Presence: No real narrative agency, but there's a chance to explore a room of objects, but also the maze scene gives the experience of a lot of agency as you can chose how you move through and at what pace. Archetypal Themes and Character Explored: Grief from a death and loss, and going on a spiritual adventure, to find connection. From the description about the book author that inspired the piece, they say, "he weaves dreams, memory and multiple dimensions of time and space has long inspired me." Turning inward to explore spatial contexts that symbolically represent an inner journey of discovery. "Grief-stricken and seeking connection, he sets out on a surreal journey into dreamlike scenes — a maze of the subconscious, mist-shrouded forests, ancient tree hollows and symbolic inner landscapes" Artist Statement: "Wu Ming-Yi is one of Taiwan's most influential contemporary novelists. The way he weaves dreams, memory and multiple dimensions of time and space has long inspired me. When the chance came to adapt The Clouds Are Two Thousand Meters Up into VR, I knew it would be a daunting yet necessary journey. Wu's writing evokes vivid imagery, spatiality and bodily presence — qualities that resonate with VR's immersive nature. Through free-roaming exploration, I aimed to recreate a journey of loss, memory and Indigenous mythology. This project is a dialogue between literature, technology and emotion — one that seeks to spark empathy across cultures." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEUki2mN-ps This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

I interviewed Mike Salmon about the VRChat Worlds Gallery selection that was a part of the Venice Immersive 2025 on Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. vent. What is Virtual Art – Volume 1 FLASHING WARNING Flat Earth Neuron Powdergame Fzmz Pointzero よるとうげ -Yorutouge- Ritual （v․1․3) The Reality of Hope Mirage Natura's Queendom Uncanny Lounge the colony - flat 804 Scale Journey exhibition ⁄ back seeing 東雲風船 - SHINONOME BALLOON - CyberLove ｜ A7 サイバーラブ Experience Dracula's Castle NeoWorlds Light Aquarium Break 15˸ Arcanum This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

I interviewed Fanny Fortage & Harry Clunet-Farlow about Heartbeat – Son Cœur a Trouvé Sa Cadence Dans Le Silence Des Rencontres on Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for Heartbeat – Son Cœur a Trouvé Sa Cadence Dans Le Silence Des Rencontres -- "His heart found its rhythm in the silence of encounters.": "HeartBeat is an immersive self-performance that explores emotional relationships through the rhythm of the pulse. This installation offers a non- verbal encounter between two strangers, sharing their pulse. This discussion of pulse carries their emotions into a journey — and perhaps, their heartbeats will be in phase." Here are the contextual domains that are explored: Commune with another person [7] via your [1] biometric heartbeats [1] that are represented symbolically [9] and artistically [5]. Here is the Elemental Center of Gravity: 1st Center of Gravity of Air Element / Mental and Social Presence: Cultivates unique Social Dynamics and Eye gazing. You're left to sort of negotiate an encounter with another person. But surprisingly the mode of interaction is completely within this unconscious or sub-symbolic realm where your mental agency is very constrained. It's a lot about the fates of your bodies, and almost by luck whether or not your bodies with synchronize. I suppose there could be elements of skill involved, but overall this is a completely novel type of experience for folks, but also generates a unique encounter with the fellow audience member. No explicit invitation to unpack or debrief the experience, but certainly some audience members connected more afterwards2nd Center of Gravity of Earth Element / Environmental and Embodied Presence: Biometric data that is spatialized over time. This is primarily a physical-based installtion where you point of focus is essentially sitting in a chair and looking at the other attendee. The screen is physically behind you, and so it's almost out of your peripheral vision that you see this undulating blob. The goal is to get your blob to merge with you're audience partner's blob by synchronizing your heart beats.3rd Center of Gravity of Fire Element / Active Presence: Your non-verbal interactions with another person. But also there is a sort of unconscious collective agency where you have to have your bodies synchronize to achieve the goal of uniting the undulating blobs4th Center of Gravity of Water Element / Emotional Presence: The piece is not really story-driven. Overall, a pretty intimate way to connect to another person. In terms of time, it's a fairly quick experience, and lots of time for onboarding the gear. But the structure of the piece is farily linar without too many repeating cycles. The cycles begining or ending depends upon how well or not well synchronized you are with the other person's heartbeat Archetypal Themes and Character Explored: Deeply connecting with another person through a shared embodied and synchronized heartbeat. More about the interactions with another person than it is with the technology per se, but the technology is facilitating this deeper and fairly intimate connection Artist Statement: "My heart has a lot of stories to tell... It is quite literally because of — or thanks t — my heart that I became an artist. At the age of twelve, during a film shoot, a microphone picked up the sound of my heartbeat more than my voice. My heart, uncontrollable, overtook the soundtrack. That moment marked a turning point: I would no longer be in front of the camera, but behind it — listening, observing, capturing. A few years later, it was my brother's heart that I watched beating, as he lay in a coma. The electrocardiogram became a link: his rhythm responded to my gestures, to my words. That silent pulse became a language. It moved me deeply. Since then, I have never stopped being fascinated by this involuntary musicality — the heart, this inner signal, fragile and universal. Recently, although I had put these two stories to one side in my memories, I re-experienced this pulse of life — this emotional connection with oneself or others. I napped on my boyfriend's chest, and his heartbeat rocked me; even though it kept me awake, it soothed me and plunged me into a meditative state... I imagined non-verbal encounters where two people would listen only to each other's heartbeats. The only information they would share would be their heart rate: was it synchronised? Or does this immersive interaction make one of their hearts race? By the way, do you think my heart was beating in rhythm with my boyfriend's when I was dreaming up this idea? In any case, I remember that my heart followed my brother's; if his sped up, so did mine." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NceaoEO4has This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

I interviewed Etienne Li about L'ombre (The Shadow) on Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for L'ombre (The Shadow): "In Andersen's tale The Shadow, a scientist brings his shadow to life. It becomes autonomous and manages to pass itself off as a human being in society. The shadow overtakes its master, returns to try to enslave him, and ultimately kills him when the latter tries to resist. The evident resonance with our contemporary world and its innovations — both troubling and fascinating — led choreographer Blanca Li to imagine this hybrid creation. Confronted by the dancers of the Compagnie Blanca Li and a percussionist, the audience is immersed in a fantastical universe that blurs perceptions, notions of good and evil and identity." Here are the contextual domains that are explored: Dance Performance [5], but creates the feeling of being within a specific neighborhood [3] via mixed reality. The story is about something from the invisible, hidden, and shadow realms [12] being embodied as a corporeal entity [1]. Then this entity becomes an enemy [7], enslaves him [12], and then ulimately kills him from an attack [8]. Here is the Elemental Center of Gravity: 1st Center of Gravity of Earth Element / Environmental and Embodied Presence: Dance performance that's theatrically stage. Audience are wearing Mixed reality headsets to mimic the projection mapped effects in the original experience. There's a fusion of live music from the group experience along with "immersive sound" and spatial audio from the VR headset and from multiple speakers in the room + the live percussive music. It is an "ambitious immersive dance, music and mixed reality show."2nd Center of Gravity of Fire Element / Active Presence: LIVE PERFORMANCE of both dance and music. No real narrative agency, and we're mostly sitting still. The original show had people moving around the space a lot more, but the constraints of Venice did not make that possible3rd Center of Gravity of Water Element / Emotional Presence: Live music that's the heart of the timing of the piece. Some pre-recorded electronic music along with live music to keep everything synchronized amongst the 50-75 VR HMDs.4th Center of Gravity of Air Element / Mental and Social Presence: It's a co-located Multi-player experience, but not much interaction with other players (don't recall if they're even represented in virtual space.) No real talking or dialog. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's The Shadow, but also quite a poetic interpretation of it through embodied dance. Left with more feelings from the performance rather than comprehending the arc of the story Archetypal Themes and Character Explored: a scientist brings his shadow to life. It becomes autonomous and manages to pass itself off as a human being in society. The shadow overtakes its master, returns to try to enslave him, and ultimately kills him Artist Statement: "L'Ombre is an ambitious immersive dance, music and mixed reality show for up to 200 spectators equipped with VR headsets. It blends live performance by six dancers and a percussionist with virtual universes and characters. Immersive sound, using the technologies of IRCAM, allows the electronic recorded music and live percussion to contribute to the audience's experience." https://vimeo.com/1111269272 This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

I interviewed Elisabetta Rotolo & Siobhan McDonnell about Black Cats & Chequered Flags on Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for Black Cats & Chequered Flags: "Black Cats & Chequered Flags begins with a haunting Spatial Memory Fragment that immerses viewers in the emotional world of Alberto Ascari. Echoes of his father, legendary driver Antonio Ascari, blend with childhood flashes and the superstitions that shaped his fate. The experience then shifts into high gear with a multiplayer MR pit stop — a collaborative challenge that brings users into the adrenaline and precision of a 1950s Formula 1 team. The journey continues in a stylised VR narrative that weaves archival footage, interactive storytelling, motion capture actors, and immersive sound to explore Ascari's victories, rituals and tragic destiny. 360° films shot on location in Turin, the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, and the Monza racetrack add historical depth. Ascari — the only Italian double Formula 1 World Champion with Ferrari — was fearless, superstitious, and chivalrous: a man both heroic and haunted." Here are the contextual domains that are explored: The personal biography of Alberto Anscari [1] including his career [10] within the context of the entertainment of racing [5], but also the inspiration from his father [4] and showing him as a kid [5], but also his various beliefs and superstitions that shaped his fate [9], and ultimately his death [8]. Here is the Elemental Center of Gravity: 1st Center of Gravity of Emotional Presence: Anscari's racing career, childhood, and various supersittions. Some cinematic immersive documentary footage. Mostly a diembodied ghostly character for the story, but you do have some presence, but nothing narratively beyond the pit stop crew at the start2nd Center of Gravity of Earth Element / Environmental and Embodied Presence: Blending of CGI, VR, 360 video, theatrical elements - Most a disembodied character through most of the story, but there are some embodied interactions that places you in the garage, car, museum3rd Center of Gravity of Fire Element / Active Presence: gamified pit stop at the beginning done as a multiplayer experiene - timed context - Taking photos, handle various objects connected to Anscari4th Center of Gravity of Air Element / Mental and Social Presence: Social experience to be done with friends / family Archetypal Themes and Character Explored: Courage, competition. Fates, ultimately his death, sense of time, sense of history, sense of identity expression of living on the edge Artist Statement: "Black Cats & Chequered Flags is a tribute to the thrill of speed and the fragility of destiny. Through immersive storytelling and multiplayer MR, it brings viewers into 1950s racing — into the pit stop, the roar of engines and the shadow of myth. At its core is Alberto Ascari — fearless, superstitious, and shaped by fate. This art piece lets users race circuits, live defining moments, and step into Ascari's pit crew. A story in motion: mythical, intimate, unforgettable." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJHGVNuf9tg This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

I interviewed Jung Ah Suh & Cristina Rambaldi about Alien Perspective on Sunday, August 31, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for Alien Perspective: "Carlo Rambaldi was a visionary architect of the unimaginable. Through his groundbreaking work on E.T., Alien, and Dune, he expanded the boundaries of cinematic reality — conjuring lifeforms and worlds that defied perception and reshaped the imagination. As we mark 100 years since the birth of Carlo Rambaldi, Alien Perspective resurrects his legacy in a bold new form: a sensory portal into the unknown. At its heart lies Città Spaziale 2 — a never-before-experienced masterpiece where painting becomes a living arena of exploration. Rambaldi's vision invites us not only to remember but to take part. In the hands of a new generation, the impossible becomes undeniable." Here are the contextual domains that are explored: Dreamlike and surreal journeys into other imaginal realms [9] by artist Carlo Rambaldi [5] Here is the Elemental Center of Gravity: 1st Center of Gravity of Earth Element / Environmental and Embodied Presence: Spatial journey through the art of Carlo Rambaldi. Starts off with some Mixed Reality with a painting in a gallery-like space, then moves into VR. "A sensory portal into the unknown." And "painting becomes a living arena of exploration." Moving "from passive observation into embodied experience."2nd Center of Gravity of Water Element / Emotional Presence: Musical score. Leaning on "Immersive Cinema" genre3rd Center of Gravity of Fire Element / Active Presence: Mostly fixed way-point exploration through the space, with some variations and choices that eventually converge. "inviting audiences to step inside his imagination and engage with his art as a dynamic, navigable universe." Aspire to bring "legacy artworks into interactive spaces where millions of users can explore, play, and participate." While some freedom to explore, it's still mostly on rails and most folks will see the same experience. Not any true branching4th Center of Gravity of Air Element / Mental and Social Presence: Many aspects of Rambaldi's IMAGINATION. A bit of associative dream logic when it comes to the underlying narrative. "This project is a call to democratise access to imagination" Archetypal Themes and Character Explored: Realms of speculative imagination that is boundless and unknown, and it's interface with Reality and potentially beyond. "the impossible becomes undeniable." Aspires to transform art by "shifting it from passive observation into embodied experience." Leaning into imaginiing the future of art: "By merging visual art, narrative design, and real-time interaction, we are forging new pathways between cultural heritage and future-facing media" Artist Statement: "With Alien Perspective, my aim is to transform how we encounter art — shifting it from passive observation into embodied experience. In close collaboration with the Carlo Rambaldi Foundation, we reimagined Rambaldi's visionary works as immersive cinema, inviting audiences to step inside his imagination and engage with his art as a dynamic, navigable universe. This project is a call to democratise access to imagination. In a world where museums and galleries can be exclusionary, immersive technology allows us to break those boundaries — bringing legacy artworks into interactive spaces where millions of users can explore, play, and participate. By merging visual art, narrative design, and real-time interaction, we are forging new pathways between cultural heritage and future-facing media. At its core, Alien Perspective is more than a tribute. It is an argument for the future of art: one that is active, inclusive, and infinite in reach." This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

I interviewed Mo Huang & Eric Zhao about Mulan2125 on Sunday, August 31, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for Mulan2125: "In 2125, a century after the green-comet “Emerald Fall,” the alien substance Muk still taints Earth. Two powers remain: Ant City and PAC, a militarised regime ruling from the sea fortress, the Crown. Ant City's flagship, the ARK — a retrofitted WWII battleship — carries a giant repair mecha meant to restore the city's shield. PAC plans to hijack the ship, impersonate its crew, and deliver the mecha embedded with malware to disable the shield from within. 18-year-old Mulan, raised aboard the ARK by her father, Captain Hua Muzhi, is unknowingly the only human fully bonded with Muk. Anticipating sabotage, Hua hides in a panic room and locks the engines. As long as he remains hidden, PAC cannot proceed. When the assault begins, AI drone MUV-I is activated and executes Hua's secret Shan Hai Guan protocol, guiding Mulan through hidden corridors. But her search for Hua accidentally helps PAC mole Aiden trace his location. Aiden detonates charges, separating them, and PAC regains control. Hua reaches the bridge to destroy the mecha but is killed. Mulan awakens Muk's power, defeats Khan, and fires the main gun — vaporising the Trojan mecha. Muk glows again as PAC retrieves her body. She lives." Here are the contextual domains that are explored: On some sort of military [10] ship at the sea [9], but also set in the future in a speculative sci-fi world [9]. Dynamics of father [4] and his daughter [5] and the various people who are trying to capture or kill her [7]. A pitched battle between these two main opposiing forces [7] Here is the Elemental Center of Gravity: 1st Center of Gravity of Emotional Presence: Described as "Cinema 2.0" & "pioneering the future of storytelling." Episodic cinematic immersive story experience with "ultra-high audiovisual standards and interactive design." First episode. Sci-Fi, Action Thriller Genre -- Attack forces 18-year old Mulan into an escape that was prepared by her father"2nd Center of Gravity of Earth Element / Environmental and Embodied Presence: Crafted for Immersion - Sci-Fi futuristic universe set in 2125. A comet shattered the world and two powers are fighting each other. Mostly a ghostly character throughout, but you do have an embodiment at certain points. Unclear as to who you are. Are you a main character? I forget, Real-time Unreal Engine with mocapped actors3rd Center of Gravity of Fire Element / Active Presence: Some light interactions at various points in this storyworld -- They say, "As traditional film nears the limits of its century-old form, we aim to chart a new path — where stories aren't just watched, but lived." Still mostly a cinematic universe as it is more about light interactions that are within a very tightly bound possibility space of the film. More about the story than your agency4th Center of Gravity of Air Element / Mental and Social Presence: A lot of dialogue within the context of a story. Possibility space very much leans towards authored narrative, as there doesn't seem to be very many different choices involved Archetypal Themes and Character Explored: '"It's all about who are you when everything is falling apart, and the invisible bonds that keep us together" Artist Statement: "MULAN 2125 is a bold step toward Cinema 2.0 — a genre-driven, emotionally resonant narrative built for immersive media. Unlike many XR projects that feel experimental, niche, or underpowered, it combines cinematic storytelling with ultra-high audiovisual standards and interactive design. This is not a tech demo in disguise, but a sincere attempt to bring the emotional depth and visual polish of commercial cinema into the XR space. As traditional film nears the limits of its century-old form, we aim to chart a new path — where stories aren't just watched, but lived." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8z1hFV8Pag This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

I interviewed Rose Bond about 1968 on Sunday, August 31, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for 1968: "1968 is communal VR theatre that explores the transformative power of protest through allusions to 1968 — a year charged with societal, cultural and political unrest. Animated from still photographs of both the iconic and the mundane, the piece investigates international interstices of history, human bonding and power in times of socio-cultural upheaval. Rose Bond's 360° hand-drawn animation interacts with Massimiliano Borghesi's spatialisation of inti figgis-vizueta's original recorded tracks of Seven Sides of Fire to ignite a dynamic, evocative and shared immersive experience. 1968 is a collaboration of international creatives and stands as the first movement of a longer, anticipated work. 1968 is experienced collectively under a geodesic sound dome." Here are the contextual domains that are explored: Power of people and culture [11] to change government [10], but also the modes of violence that are used against them [7]. The Transformative Power of Protest Here is the Elemental Center of Gravity: 1st Center of Gravity of Emotional Presence: Story, Music - Visual storytelling language of abstract animatsion - Very tightly coupled with the patterns of music2nd Center of Gravity of Earth Element / Environmental and Embodied Presence: Spatial Audio via the Dome. There's a lot of void spaces here, and you end up seeing some hand-drawn animations that start to sketch out various scenes of political liberation from the 19683rd Center of Gravity of Air Element / Mental and Social Presence: No words, Poetic Dream Logic to evoke the memories based upon these iconic events from 1968. No explanation or discourse about anything, and so it does require the audience to be somewhat familiar with the specific cultural histories being referenced from both the United States as well as in France. This is shown as a group experience, but you don't see anyone else, and so it also feels like a solo experience that you are parallel playing with others as they watch it4th Center of Gravity of Fire Element / Active Presence: No narrative agency or any embodied Interactions Archetypal Themes and Character Explored: Revolutionary change and upheavel of the socio-political order of the 60s: "investigates international interstices of history, human bonding and power in times of socio-cultural upheaval" - Transformative power of Protest Artist Statement: "'VR, when combined with hand-drawn animation and immersive sound, can articulate complex emotional and lyrical dimensions with rare sensitivity.' Coming from a school of animation that values gesture over spoken word, I regard 3D space as a gift — an expansion from the flatness of film, a place for extended choreography. Sound has long inhabited the space between sense and sensation. This communal VR installation, ensconced in a geodesic dome mounted with fifteen acoustic speakers, seeks a shared experience — one that verges on the haptic, with exquisite spatial precision." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPgr1nul4ro This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

I interviewed Massimiliano Borghesi about 1968 on Thursday, August 28, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. We talked about the spatial audio mix of the orchestral score for 1968. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPgr1nul4ro This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

I interviewed Nicolas Bourniquel about The Sad Story of the Little Mouse Who Wanted to Become Somebody on Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for The Sad Story of the Little Mouse Who Wanted to Become Somebody: "Once upon a time, there was a little mouse who worked relentlessly to achieve a single goal: becoming somebody. Driven solely by her ambition, she slowly grew mean and arrogant, pushing everyone away. One day, she accepted a job offer from the most prolific toymaker in the world: Santa Claus. The little mouse was about to discover that climbing the corporate ladder was not all she had hoped it would be… La triste histoire de la petite souris qui voulait absolument devenir quelqu'un is a biting satire of corporate life in the form of a VR Christmas tale." Here are the contextual domains that are explored: From humble creative workshop [5] at home [4] to express her identity [1] through social media [3], but then becomes completely invisible [12]. Then a transition into the other worldly character of Santa's workshop [9], which becomes a professional workplace that is highly industrialized and automated [10] turning the creative work into a slog of manual tasks devoid of too much creativity or autonomy [6] work that translates into a bit of a situation of slavery [12] Here is the Elemental Center of Gravity: 1st Center of Gravity of Emotional Presence: Narrative-driven, immersive animation. This very much a character-driven story2nd Center of Gravity of Earth Element / Environmental and Embodied Presence: Very detailed world that you enter into. From Paris streets to the speculative workshop of Santa updated with all of the latest gifts of automation3rd Center of Gravity of Air Element / Mental and Social Presence: Dialogue amongst the characters - English and no subtitles.. is there any narration?4th Center of Gravity of Fire Element / Active Presence: No narrative agency or any embodied Interactions Archetypal Themes and Character Explored: Radical and Free, Bepoke and Handcrafted Creativity with unbounded creative imagination in tension with Automated Utility & a bit of structured authoritarianism. Certainly a modern day fairy tale that speaks about the dynamics of AI and automation. "The little mouse was about to discover that climbing the corporate ladder was not all she had hoped it would be..." -- "how difficult it is for artists to find their place in a hyper-competitive, automated world. On one side, there's the struggle to exist and be seen when you're as “small” as the little mouse and still need to earn a living. On the other, there's the challenge of preserving craft and creativity in a world where machines increasingly threaten to replace creators altogether." Artist Statement: "With La triste histoire de la petite souris qui voulait absolument devenir quelqu'un, we aim to explore how difficult it is for artists to find their place in a hyper-competitive, automated world. On one side, there's the struggle to exist and be seen when you're as “small” as the little mouse and still need to earn a living. On the other, there's the challenge of preserving craft and creativity in a world where machines increasingly threaten to replace creators altogether." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C83cO-zapE This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

I interviewed Naima Karim & Aleena Hanif about Mirage on Saturday, August 30, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for Mirage: "Mirage is an interactive Virtual Reality experience of a young girl who is battling depression and anxiety. Set in a desert landscape, it is a metaphorical and stylised adaptation with visuals created by the artist Naima Karim and her lived experience with her daughter's depression and anxiety. The audience embarks on an immersive journey through the young girl's mind, using hand-tracking interactivity, spatial sound design, original music, and a haptic vest. With hand-tracking interaction, they will be encouraged to support her through her challenges. However, accepting struggles and accepting help from others is not easy for a person suffering from depression and anxiety. Mirage sheds light on the often-misunderstood realities of depression and anxiety, inspiring empathy and understanding." Here are the contextual domains that are explored: Mental Health and Depression and anxiety [6], [4] Family, specifically within the context of a parent [4] and their child [5] and her sibling [3], accepting help from others [7] Here is the Elemental Center of Gravity: 1st Center of Gravity of Emotional Presence: Narrative-driven, immersive animation in VR, but the center of gravity as a cinematic experience2nd Center of Gravity of Earth Element / Environmental and Embodied Presence: Spatial Quill Animations, but also quite a lot of Haptic Integrations ( to mimic aspects of chest pain and panic). There are moments where you embody and interact as a parental figure, but also many times you're a ghostly observer3rd Center of Gravity of Fire Element / Active Presence: Some light, hand-tracked interactions spread throughout that serve to gate key moments in the story.4th Center of Gravity of Air Element / Mental and Social Presence: Dialogue amongst the characters, is there narration from one of the character as well? I don't remember Archetypal Themes and Character Explored: Depression, Anxiety: "accepting struggles and accepting help from others is not easy for a person suffering from depression and anxiety. Mirage sheds light on the often-misunderstood realities of depression and anxiety, inspiring empathy and understanding." And to "bring awareness to the experiences of someone with depression and anxiety." Artist Statement: "For many children with depression and anxiety, happiness can feel unattainable and just out of reach, like a Mirage. Mirage is based on our personal experience. It was challenging to create because of how vulnerable we had to be to develop an honest experience. We wanted to leave room for audiences to connect in their own way, but still speak to common experiences they might find through our story. The essential purpose of Mirage is for us to share our story and bring awareness to the experiences of someone with depression and anxiety. Through Mirage, we hope to spark conversation and encourage people to empathise and support those with depression and anxiety." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9unNsHKGEc This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

I interviewed Kenji Ishimaru about If You See a Cat on Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for If You See a Cat: "The boy's only friend was a hallucination of his beloved cat. Concerned for his mental health, his mother admitted him to a psychiatric hospital. After three months of medication-based treatment, the hallucinations fade, and he is discharged — but he has lost his emotional anchor and appears even more lifeless than before. Withdrawing into himself, he shuts his mind to the world and isolates in his room. One day, from his window, he sees a girl playing with a stray cat in the parking lot. This quiet moment becomes the catalyst for his recovering." Here are the contextual domains that are explored: Mental Health in Japan [6] & within various professional medical contexts with doctors [6]. Overall feelings of exile [12] Main scenes take place at home [4], within the context of a local Japense neighborhoods [3], as well as the hospital [6]. Episode triggered by the death [8] of his cat [6]. You watch the experience through the eyes of these cats [6], often low-level to the ground looking up. Here is the Elemental Center of Gravity: 1st Center of Gravity of Emotional Presence: Narrative-driven, immersive animation.2nd Center of Gravity of Earth Element / Environmental and Embodied Presence: Into these different worlds, and often from the perspective of the cat - to get some distance over the dehumanization depicted by the Japanese medical establishment.. Some spatial metaphors of illusions3rd Center of Gravity of Air Element / Mental and Social Presence: Dialogue amongst the characters - English and no subtitles4th Center of Gravity of Fire Element / Active Presence: No narrative agency or any embodied Interactions Archetypal Themes and Character Explored: The Fragility of Mental Health. The oppression from insitutionalization + transgression of boundaries of Human Rights & violations of dignity. Also withdrawling from society and feelings of exile and grieving death and then starting to see Hallucinations. Empathizing with the types of taboos against mental health within the context of Japan - TITLE: If you see a cat, trying to connect to mundane realities of pets we all have. Universal experiences of the death and loss of pets, but also how mental health issues may also ripple out and impact you or people close to you Artist Statement: "Fortunately, I have never experienced mental illness. In depicting the boy who is at the mercy of his surroundings — including being labelled as mentally ill — I portrayed him as a kind of outsider. But I was always aware that I myself could be in the same position tomorrow." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkUwnPSzxHk This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

I interviewed Joren Vandenbroucke about The Great Escape on Monday, September 1, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for The Great Escape: "In The Great Escape, the viewer arrives as the third of three geranium flowers stuck on the windowsill in the bare living room of Patrick, a lonely 38-year-old man. The geraniums are bored to death and constantly frustrated – with themselves, the windowsill, and Patrick. They long to see the world, but are literally rooted in place. Patrick, meanwhile, walks freely but never leaves the house, trapped in his own lonely routine. Every day starts the same: watering the plants, making coffee, feeding his goldfish, activating his roomba, collecting junk mail, then daydreaming by the window. The monotony gets shaken up when Patrick buys a smartphone to connect with the outside world. The geraniums secretly steal it and post a selfie in a plant swap group, where a woman named Sonja spots it. She convinces Patrick to swap the geraniums for her snake plant. The geraniums are thrilled as they venture outside with Patrick, until a chat with a dying bouquet of roses reveals the outside world isn't so kind to plants. The ensuing existential crisis leads the plants to their near demise and ultimately to a new home with a rather familiar setting." Here are the contextual domains that are explored: Home [4], then using communications technologies with a cell phone and social media [3] to connect to someone else in the neighborhood [3]. Then going on a massive adventure. [9] For a human, it's a short-distance travel [3], but for this geranium, it may feel like a completely exotic long-distance journey [9] relative to how often plants move around. "They long to see the world, but are literally rooted in place." Here is the Elemental Center of Gravity: 1st Center of Gravity of Emotional Presence: Very FUNNY! Narrative-driven, immersive animation. Surreal comedy genre.2nd Center of Gravity of Earth Element / Environmental and Embodied Presence: You embody a geranium who uses a phone to put themselves on an Online Marketplace and escape into another human owner. From one home to another via public tranportation. The rest of the world is mundane living rooms, a subway trip, and then getting to be outside facing the busy city street3rd Center of Gravity of Air Element / Mental and Social Presence: Dialogue. Single-player experience. But you have some virtual co-presence with other geraniums, as you are embodied as a geranium4th Center of Gravity of Earth Element / Environmental and Embodied Presence: I can't recall if there were any explicit interactions other than being embodied as a geranium. If there were, then they just gated the narrative. May have been some phone interactions. Hard to remember Archetypal Themes and Character Explored: Tension between Boredom of Reality and the same daily routine and Grand Adventure and Excitement. "The geraniums are bored to death and constantly frustrated." Some pretty brave and courageous acts to go on this adventure. Also fears around potential death associated with this adventure. "The geraniums are thrilled as they venture outside with Patrick, until a chat with a dying bouquet of roses reveals the outside world isn't so kind to plants." After the brush with death, then they enter their new home and a new but similar daily routine begins. "The ensuing existential crisis leads the plants to their near demise and ultimately to a new home with a rather familiar setting." Artist Statement: "At the core The Great Escape is about the boredom that comes with comfort. In this story a pair of houseplants are longing for a “great escape” from their daily dull routine, even though nothing is particularly wrong with this daily flow. On one hand the contradicting wishes and desires of the geraniums might seem amusing, but on the other hand they are relatable as well to people who harbour similar escapist dreams or experience certain inexplicable feelings of ennui. Fleeing a golden cage takes courage and learning to let go sometimes, as Patrick experiences in this story. Even then a safe return is not always guaranteed, like the geraniums find out. Still, there is beauty to be found in the ordinary aspects of life and the flow of daily existence." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jH5bGRsqn4k This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

This post officially kicks off my Venice Immersive 2025 coverage, see links to all 38 episodes and 30+ hours of interviews down below. We're starting off with the interview that I did with Doug Liman (co-founder of 30 Ninjas), Julina Tatlock (co-founder of 30 Ninjas), & Jed Weintrob (co-founder of 30 Ninjas), & Max Spear (Product Lead of Android XR at Google) about Asteroid on Saturday, August 30, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy. Here is the story synopsis for Asteroid: "Asteroid is an immersive film and interactive story extension made for the launch of Google's new Android XR platform. The 180° immersive short film is a high-stakes action thriller about a group of strangers who take an old Russian Soyuz rocket to mine a near-earth, treasure laden asteroid for a chance at unimaginable wealth. After the film, the experience continues and the audience enters the world of Asteroid when they receive an SOS from one of the characters, DK Metcalf, who was left for dead. The viewer becomes a player when they are invited to aid in DK's rescue. Through speaking with an AI-generated version of DK — played by the NFL player as himself — the user determines the truth about what happened on the asteroid and sends his exact location to NASA for rescue." Here are the contextual domains that are explored: Long distance travel [9] where someone is left behind (de facto exile) [12], and there is a rescue mission where you as a character [1] help out the protagonist [7] in the second half, but also a lot of mystery [12] to figure out and investigate [9] Here is the Elemental Center of Gravity: 1st Center of Gravity of Emotional Presence: cinematic Virtual Reality thriller that begins as a film and continues as an immersive story game. Combination of live-action 180-video along with CGI-driven animations also in 180-video2nd Center of Gravity of Earth Element / Environmental and Embodied Presence: Worldbuilding of sci-fi extraction of asteroid, you embody a character in story in the last part, and you break the fourth wall in the onboarding talking to the actor who plays a character via AI3rd Center of Gravity of Air Element / Mental and Social Presence: Conversational-driven AI Story Extension - You talk to the actor DK Metcalf at the beginning and with the character at the end. A bit of puzzling together of the myserious aspects of the story4th Center of Gravity of Fire Element / Active Presence: continues as an immersive story game - Improv convo + slightly nudged and directed exploration Archetypal Themes and Character Explored: Everyone are anti-heroes archetypes - Power and Greed vs Limitations, constraints, boundaries, death. Doug Liman says there aren't many anti-heroes in space movies, Han Solo is an exception. What if all of the characters were Han Solos? What drama would ensue? Artist Statement: "I've always thought of myself as an immersive filmmaker. The goal was to put the audience in the action, not to be sort of passively watching it. Now that the technology has caught up with us, I really can put the audience in the rocket. Asteroid is the story of a ragtag group of astronauts who booked a ride on a used Soyuz spacecraft. An asteroid passes near Earth. It's laden with precious metals and gems. If you can get there, you can become insanely wealthy. It's a modern gold rush." Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1163762576/d0d75004c2?fl=pl&fe=vl You can find links to my 30+ hours of my coverage from Venice Immersive 2025 across 39 episodes. I've categorized the experiences according to these "elemental genres," which is looking at the top two elemental centers of gravity. You can watch this talk on "Blending the Elements on Experiential Design" for more details. #1650: Sneak Peak of Venice Immersive 2025 Selection with Curators Liz Rosenthal and Michel Reilhac #1750: Doug Liman's "Asteroid" Short Immersive Film with Google Gemini Story Extension + Kickoff of Venice Immersive 2025 Coverage #1751: "Ghost Town" Narrative Integration in Puzzle Adventure with Exquisite Worldbuilding #1752: Blending Embodied Game & Narrative Genres with "One True Path, Part 1" #1753: Mixed Reality Town-Building and Sim Game "Wall Town Wonders" #1754: Screen Life Thriller "LILI" about Surveillance Fuses Game Design, Film, and MacBeth Adaptation #1755: Hand-Tracked Sign Language as Story Beat Triggers in "Eddie and I" #1756: Exploring Narrative Potential of Generative AI in "8pm and the Cat" #1757: Embody a Geranium in Immersive Comedy about Boredom in "The Great Escape" #1758: Reckoning with Mental Health Taboos in Japan with "If You See a Cat" Immersive Animation #1759: Mother-Daughter Team Explore Personal Challenges with Depression and Anxiety in "Mirage" Immersive Animation #1760: Immersive Fairy Tale about Automation with "The Sad Story of the Little Mouse Who Wanted to Become Somebody" #1761: Unpacking the Immersive Orchestral Mix of "1968" with Massimiliano Borghesi #1762: Fusing Experimental Immersive Animation with Cutting-Edge Orchestral Spatial Audio Mix in "1968" #1763: Blending Theater and 360 Video in "Re-Launching-Luigi-Broglio" #1764: Mixing Hand-Drawn Animation with 360 Video in "The Time Before" #1765: Immersive Action Thriller "Mulan 2125" Pushes the Edge of Graphical Fidelity #1766: Formula 1 LBE Experience "Black Cats & Chequered Flags" is an Immersive Biopic of Alberto Anscari #1767: Immersive Journey through Special Effects Pioneer Carlo Rambaldi's Paintings in "Alien Perspective" #1768: Symbolic Journey through Lithuania's Artist Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis' Paintings in "Creation of the World" #1769: Mixed Reality Musical on Avatars and Identity in "First Virtual Suit" #1770: Eastern Philosophy-Inspired Fusion of Theater and XR with "Mnemosyne" #1771: Environmental Storytelling in "The Great Orator" VR Diorama with Generative AI Experiments #1772: Climate Change Spatial Montage "Out of Nowhere" Aspires to Move Towards Rewilding Prevention #1773: "Collective Body" Assigns Elemental Avatars Based Upon Archetypal Dance Movements #1774: Combining Live Dance and Music in Immersive LBE Performance "L'ombre (The Shadow)" #1775: The Continuous Spatial One-Shot of Backlight's "La Magie Opera" LBE #1776: The Spatial Grammar Innovations of Dialectical Contrasts and Abstraction within "The Big Cube" #1777: Active Imagination, Associative Dream Logic, & Embodied Interactions in "Sense of Nowhere" #1778: Collaborative Social Game and Story of "Happy Shadow" #1779: "Heartbeat" Immersive, 1-on-1 Biometric Synchronization and Involuntary Collective Agency #1780: Recap of VRChat Worlds Gallery at Venice Immersive 2025 with Mike Salmon #1781: Winner of Venice Immersive 2025 "The Clouds Are Two Thousand Meters Up" Innovates on Gaussian Splats & Spatial Storytelling #1782: "A Long Goodbye" Wins 3rd Place Prize at Venice Immersive with Emotionally-Moving Story on Dementia and Spatial Grammar Innovations #1783: "Less Than 5gr of Saffron" Wins 2nd Place Prize at Venice Immersive with Spatial Poem Quill Animation #1784: The Incredible Spatial Transitions of "Dark Rooms" with Radical Consent Innovations #1785: The Landmark Achievements of "Blur" in Fusing Theater, Montage, Mixed Reality, and LBE VR #1786: Collective Reading Experience of "Constantinopoliad" Provokes Discussion on Defining "Immersive" #1787: Blending the Elements of Experiential Design & Process-Relational Foundations of the Elements This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

Anika sat down with Amir Berenjian to explore how a former investment banker transitioned from multi-million dollar M&A spreadsheets to founding an immersive technology company. The conversation revealed a profound truth: the most powerful way to sell a brand or cause isn't through data alone, but through deeply emotional, shared experiences. Amir shares how REM5 Studios leverages virtual reality (VR) to transport trade show attendees to a Wisconsin dairy farm and global policymakers to the frontlines of polio eradication in Zambia, proving that immersive tech is far more than just a novelty.   In This Episode   How 12 years in M&A investment banking prepared Amir for immersive storytelling The pivotal moment of trying the Oculus Rift in 2016 and seeing the future of human-computer interaction Using pizza and beer to overcome VR skepticism in the corporate world Why the ROI of immersive tech at trade shows vastly outperforms traditional marketing trinkets Transporting global policymakers to Zambia to fight polio via VR with the Gates Foundation How a premium cheese brand uses VR to tell the story of a 100-year-old family farm The surprising dual-use of VR for both external marketing and internal employee onboarding How to test out immersive tech for your brand without breaking the budget   Timestamps 00:00 Introduction: From investment banking to immersive tech  02:09 The surprising emotional throughline between M&A banking and VR storytelling  04:38 The Oculus Rift "Aha!" moment and democratizing the "magic school bus" experience  07:35 Overcoming the VR accessibility barrier and corporate skepticism  11:13 Transitioning from corporate events to purpose-driven storytelling and global causes  13:33 The economics of immersive tech and why it's cheaper than you think  15:08 Dominating trade shows: Why shared VR experiences beat traditional marketing flyers  17:29 Case Study 1: Transporting customers to a 3rd-generation Wisconsin dairy farm  19:38 Case Study 2: Putting policymakers on the frontlines of polio with the Gates Foundation  20:23 How immersive 3D video actually works (and the nostalgia of the View-Master)  25:13 The 9-month planning process and why distribution is the biggest hurdle in VR  29:39 The intersection of AI, implicit bias, and leveraging technology for good  31:47 Measuring the impact and ROI of immersive storytelling  34:33 How small businesses can test the waters of VR for under $500  38:33 The dual value of VR: Using marketing tools for internal employee onboarding  41:42 What's next for REM5 Studios and the convergence of AI and spatial computing   Key Insights & Takeaways   Insight 1: M&A and VR are Both About Selling Emotion    Even in investment banking, multi-million dollar deals are driven by the emotional story of a business. Amir realized VR is simply the ultimate tool for democratizing that story, allowing clients to "tour the factory" and meet the founders without ever leaving the boardroom.   Insight 2: Immersive Tech Solves the Trade Show ROI Problem    Trade shows are filled with expensive, easily discarded trinkets and flyers. Immersive tech completely steals the show by giving attendees a shared, memorable experience that re-energizes them. Because the experience can be reused across dozens of events, it proves to be far more cost-effective and impactful than traditional trade show marketing waste.   Insight 3: The Technology is the Conduit, Not the Message    People easily get caught up in buzzwords like AR, VR, and spatial computing. But the goal isn't to talk about the tech—it's to use the tech to tell a story so effectively that users forget they're wearing a headset. Whether it's understanding the reality of polio eradication or the care behind a premium cheese, the tech is just a vehicle for presence and empathy.   Insight 4: Marketing Assets Make Perfect Internal Training Tools    An immersive experience originally designed to sell a product to consumers can instantly be repurposed as an onboarding tool for HR and accounting teams. Giving new or remote employees a virtual factory tour accelerates learning, reduces training costs, and emotionally connects desk workers to the company's physical roots.   Insight 5: You Can Test VR for Your Business on a Budget    You don't need a massive corporate budget to start experimenting with immersive storytelling. With a $400 Meta Quest headset or a free 30-minute demo at an Apple Store, business owners can experience existing VR content, identify use cases, and understand the medium before ever committing to a custom build.   Resources & Links Mentioned   REM5 Studios Polio's Last Mile (VR Experience available on Meta Quest & Apple Vision Pro) Meta Quest 3 / Apple Vision Pro   About Amir Berenjian Amir Berenjian is the co-founder and CEO of REM5 Studios, an immersive technology company based in Minneapolis that builds virtual and augmented reality experiences for brands and causes. Before transitioning to spatial computing, Amir spent 12 years in investment banking, facilitating over 100 M&A transactions for companies ranging from $10 million to over $1 billion in revenue. Today, he helps organizations like the Gates Foundation, Rotary International, and Fortune 500 companies leverage the power of VR to foster profound empathy, connection, and real-world impact.   Connect with Amir LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amir-berenjian-90738220/ Website: REM5Studios.com Like the show? Leave us a rating or review: https://lovethepodcast.com/67940257010b317cdaa9d857Follow the Show: https://followthepodcast.com/67940257010b317cdaa9d857Send a Message: https://podcastfeedback.com/67940257010b317cdaa9d857Check out our Website: https://www.yourbrandamplified.comSpeak to my Delphi Clone: https://www.delphi.ai/amplifywithanika Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.